


They say that true love hurts. Well, this could almost kill me.

by Zyperis



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/F, POV Alternating, Soulmate Pain AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:20:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 84,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28391571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zyperis/pseuds/Zyperis
Summary: In a world where you share in the pain of your soul mate, the Avatar's other half has it pretty rough.(Soulmate AU where they can feel each other’s physical and emotional pain to a degree.)A continuation of another work by the same title. Original author: frenetic_core
Relationships: Korra/Asami Sato
Comments: 144
Kudos: 288





	1. Chapter 38: Harmonic Convergence Part 2

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [They say that true love hurts. Well, this could almost kill me.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3765220) by [frenetic_core](https://archiveofourown.org/users/frenetic_core/pseuds/frenetic_core). 



> Firstly, I apologize for the length of this note and my long-winded style in general. I cannot stress enough that I am not the original author of this story and I have NOT had any contact with them. All credit for the idea and the first 37 chapters belong to the original author: frenetic_core. That said, after reading those first 37 chapters I was completely in love with both the concept and the actual work that was produced. After much thought and consideration, I decided that I simply could not live in a world where this story ended with chapter 37 (especially since it was even titled “Harmonic Convergence: Part 1” – how could there not be a part 2?). As such I found myself motivated to create the conclusion to the Harmonic Convergence climax. I am by no means a writer and I had never developed an interest in actually creating fanfiction of my own until this story. Consequently, I make no claims that my writing can truly do this work justice, but at the very least it does offer you the ability to continue the story without needing to come up with it on your own. Regardless, I do hope that you do enjoy what I have produced and that it grants you at least some closure for that cliffhanger. In regards to the ‘M’ rating (since the original work was ‘T’) - there is once again the mention of blood (a few times) and descriptions/ depictions of pain (hopefully not a surprising revelation given the premise of this AU). As the original author did, I will be writing, under the presumption that you are at least familiar with the general plotline and while some aspects of the story will naturally diverge as they already have, we will skip some time and scenes under the assumption that you know what is happening in the background as the story focuses on Korrasami. As far as the content of my work, chapter 38 is intended to be my attempt to mimic the original writing style and close out the story as sufficiently as possible, for anyone who may not want to dive into any of the other chapters I produce. Accordingly beginning with chapter 39 the story will continue in what is my interpretation of how this AU progresses and will begin to become cemented in my own writing style.

Korra was at once both dumbstruck and incredulous. What had seemed impossible mere minutes prior was now a reality. Tenzin’s plan might just work. After all she never expected to be bending cosmic energy so that she could manifest her spirit as a physical entity. But as she stepped from the tree of time and compelled her spirit to grow to the approximate size that she saw Unavaatu become she found herself having renewed hope- if she could bend cosmic energy- certainly she could restore Raava. As she reached up and touched the spirit beam- she focused in on Vaatu’s energy and found herself drawn through space towards him.

How Tenzin remembered that Raava would begin to grow within Vaatu again if she was destroyed when Korra herself had forgotten despite having experienced Avatar Wan’s journey firsthand was something she didn’t understand, but all she had to do now was exploit that simple fact. Use Unalaq’s spirit bending technique to promote the flow of positive Chi and exert her will over Vaatu to pull Raava out, hopefully while also dispensing Vaatu in the process- buying at least a few hundred years of peace.

Korra landed in Yue Bay just in time to see Unavaatu overturn the Avatar Aang statue. _Of course, we end up in Republic City, where there is the potential for innocent people to get hurt. Focus Korra- free Raava- send Vaatu away in peace. That’s how you’ll protect everyone. And prevent 10,000 years of darkness._ Why a large portion of Republic City was covered in vines was something she didn’t pause to consider as she charged at Unavaatu, who turned to face her. Fortunately, her spirit manifestation felt just as strong and nimble as her physical body and as they exchanged blows Korra was pleased to note that she didn’t feel any pain- at least Asami was spared from having to endure another tough fight.

Grabbing tentacles and arms at once allowed Korra to hurl Unavaatu bodily across the bay and she wasted no time in charging ahead before leaping on top to place a firm hand upon the monster’s chest. At once she felt it- and the spark of light that glowed from deep within Unavaatu was reward enough for her- Raava wasn’t destroyed- Tenzin was right. The momentary distraction would cost her however, too late she saw the markings covering the monster’s chest alight and she was struck by the spirit beam and sent flying. At once she gasped at the searing pain that exploded through her- but she hadn’t felt any pain when they exchanged physical blows. Was it because the spirit beam was spiritual, and she was her manifested spirit? She didn’t have time to figure that out now- Unavaatu had already risen and was preparing to fire another beam at her.

Instinct more than technique told Korra what to do. Bending always came naturally to her (even airbending once she finally unlocked it) and apparently cosmic energy would be no different. She felt the power emanate out from her core and explode in a spirt beam of her own that met ferociously with the one from Unavaatu. Maintaining the beam wasn’t altogether different from maintaining a continual plume of fire and perhaps it was her experience in multiple forms of bending that allowed her to overwhelm the spirit beam from Unavaatu and consequently send him flying, in much the same way she had earlier. She ran forward to close the distance between them, before bringing twin tendrils of water to encircle the monster. _Bet you’re regretting teaching met your spiritbending technique now._ Korra mused as the water and Unavaatu’s feet began to emit a golden glow.

A searing heat began under the soles of her feet and slowly crept up to her shins. Korra chanced a glance down only to be met with the horror of a sickening purple beginning to envelop her own body. _That’s right- Unalaq said he no longer needed to utilize waterbending to bend spirits to his will._ Fine then. Korra had bent multiple elements at once before, even without needing the Avatar state- splitting her concentration between a few tasks was certainly something she could manage. _Keep the water spinning and controlled. Promote the flow of positive Chi to strengthen Raava. Fight against Unavaatu’s manipulation of her own spirit. Force her will over Unavaatu. Don’t get angry. Don’t panic- those emotions feed the dark spirits and Vaatu is the ultimate dark spirit. Water controlled. Positive Chi flows. Resist Unavaatu. Bend to my will. Emotion and mindset. Water. Chi! Resist! WILL!_

The exertion was far greater than Korra could have anticipated. She didn’t notice the burning in her arms as she continued to move them in slow circles to maintain her waterbending- like moving through boiling water. She didn’t even have time to process the seizing deep in her own spirit- if she gave in for even a moment Unavaatu would get the upper hand and she had to win this battle of wills. Slowly- painfully slowly she began to win and Raava’s spark of light began to grow in earnest. Once she moved past the middle ground, she steadily made progress until it was suddenly over, like an arm wrestling match. Raava burst from Unavaatu just as the golden glow completely enveloped him and the last traces of purple faded from her own blue spirit. “Go in peace,” Korra whispered- her voice carrying farther and louder than she expected. As she bowed low- Raava alighted on her shoulder and the last traces of Unavaatu disappeared in the air.

In a flash Korra’s spirit and Raava flowed through space as she recalled her spirit manifestation to her body. The blinding blue flash was immediately followed by pure white light as Raava entered Korra’s body following her spirit. Eyes white and feeling power surge through her entire being- Korra propelled herself on a twisting column of air up to the beam connecting the spirit portals. As her hand touched the beam Korra felt Raava fuse with her own spirit- once again becoming a single entity. No sooner had they merged then the beam connecting the portals bowed out and straight into the sky- signaling the end of Harmonic Convergence. As she powered down the whirlwind and just as her feet touched the ground and she stopped channeling the power of the Avatar state- Korra felt it.

Pain.

Her arms ached as if she had torn every muscle and tendon in them- except it wasn’t her muscles- this pain was laced deeper than that. Her arms were nothing compared to the well of agony she felt at the center of her being- it throbbed and pulsed so deep inside of her that Korra knew in an instant that it couldn’t be from any physical injury. She doubled over and collapsed on to her hands and knees, her arms screaming in protest.

“Korra! What happened? Is Unavaatu defeated? We saw Raava’s light- are you alright?” Tenzin called running towards her. Korra could see Kya trailing not more than a step behind and further back- Mako and Bolin- trudging forward slowly leaning on each other for support, while Bumi animatedly spoke to them. That was a relief- Korra knew that they would be alright in Kya’s trusted hands, but to see them upright and walking already was certainly a weight off her shoulders.

“Yeah- I defeated Unavaatu. It took a lot out of me though…” Korra sucked in a deep breath and almost chocked on her own blood. She planned to elaborate more, but Kya was already kneeling at her right side- healing spirit water pulled from the nearby river already glowing around her hands, as she began to inspect Korra.

“Oh man! That was the coolest thing- you were all giant and blue! And…” Three pulses in her left hand pulled whatever attention Korra had been paying to what Bolin had been saying away in an instant. Asami. If she felt this much pain all of a sudden- Korra couldn’t even begin to imagine how worried Asami must be- not to mention the pain she must be enduring right now. Korra sent two pulses back. _I’m so sorry that you have to go through this with me, but I promise I really am alright now and for what its worth- I don’t think anyone else will be trying to rip Raava out of my body again._ She almost considered asking if Asami was okay, before realizing that it was a foolish question- she was safe with Katara, _the only thing wrong is the pain I’m causing her._

“Well, the good news is nothing’s physically wrong. I’m sure you’re exhausted, but a little rest will fix that right up,” Kya smiled and began to stand.

“No, that can’t be right,” Korra didn’t understand- Kya had been able to sense the damage done when Raava was ripped out- and had even been able to alleviate some of that pain. How could nothing be wrong now when she felt like this? She still tasted blood leaking into her mouth and the pulsing agony in her core continued unrelentingly. Something was wrong. Korra struggled to stand only for her legs to give out almost as soon as she began her ascent. _My legs ache too._ She realized, but not like the rest of her.

Tenzin and Kya exchanged a concerned look, while Bolin and Mako looked alarmed. Tenzin spoke up first as he helped Korra to her feet, “Why don’t you close the portals and we’ll go home. I’m sure my mother will have some insight into whatever may be wrong.”

Korra shook her head as she leaned heavily against her mentor. “I think Unalaq was right when he said the Avatar shouldn’t be a bridge between the two worlds. Avatar Wan made a mistake closing the portals- humans and spirits weren’t meant to live apart.”

“Very well, I trust you’re instincts. You’re the Avatar and I support you.” Tenzin spoke as he guided her toward the southern spirit portal and toward home.

_Asami- I’m coming._

* * *

“Korra’s fighting again.” Asami informed Senna, who hadn’t left her side since they entered the healing hut. The worst of the pain had faded away over the past few minutes, but now Asami felt pangs pop up in various places across her body- almost like Korra was brawling, except the pain didn’t feel quite the same as when Korra was normally hit.

“That must mean Tenzin’s plan is likely to work.” Senna spared a glance in Jinora’s direction, who was wrapped in blankets by the nearest fire. “Korra’s a lot like her father- you know. Headstrong, rash, stubborn, but loves even more fiercely than she fights.” Senna continued, stroking Asami’s hand while she spoke- a thoughtful look on her face. They had returned to the empty cot so that Asami could lie down once again.

Asami felt the heat return to her face. She shrank beneath the blanket, how could she even begin to approach a conversation regarding Korra as her lover? They’d only kissed. Or made out- a little- okay maybe a lot recently. And Asami was not about to even entertain the other thoughts that would sometimes sneak into her mind during those moments. That was private. And this was Korra’s _mother_.

“I didn’t mean to embarrass you,” Senna spoke up again after noticing Asami’s silence and crimson face. “I meant that Korra is a protector. There isn’t anything she won’t do to help the people she loves. I know you look after her, and she needs that- more than she realizes, but she’ll stand by you and devote herself to you and everything important in your life.”

Asami sat up to hug her extending her thanks for both the kind words and support, but her words caught in her throat as a gasp and moan escaped her lips. A searing heat exploded out from her center- deeper than any internal pain she ever felt before. Senna’s face was pale and she held Asami’s shoulder with a concerned look.

Just as Asami caught her breath and began to reassure Senna and herself that Korra was alright- she felt it. A spasming ache in her shoulders that extended down her arms and a burning creeping from the soles of her feet up her shins. Asami grit her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut- she wasn’t going to scream again. This wasn’t nearly as bad as feeling Korra’s Avatar spirit ripped from her and whatever was happening to Korra was worse. She had to be strong- no sense in worrying everyone about the Avatar’s battle- they all had to have faith in Korra.

The pain grew worse and soon Asami had to lie back down on the bed in agony- twisting from one side to the other. She was sure her arms would feel better being detached from her own body and her legs- especially her shins and feet felt like they were on fire and had started to melt off entirely. But worst of all was the pulsing that emanated from inside of her- Asami couldn’t decide where, but she clutched her stomach and chest as hard as she could desperate to ease the pain.

She heard when Senna called for Katara, who said something about her spirit. She wanted to assure them that it was just soulmate pain and that it would pass, but she dared not open her mouth- she didn’t trust herself not to scream. She consented to being carried to the back of the healing hut with the nod of her head. Senna and Katara were far stronger than either of them looked- neither showing so much as an inkling of struggle while lifting a writhing Asami. As the doors closed behind the three women for privacy- Asami was lowered clothes and all into one of Katara’s healing pools. The water did nothing to ease the pain until Katara, who sat beside it, began waving her hands and bending the water into a suddenly soothing balm.

Everything still hurt- especially the ache in the center, but Asami could breathe again. And after she thanked her, Katara explained that Korra’s spirit must be under an exhaustive battle and suffering damage as a result.

“What does that mean? Is Korra going to be alright?” Asami couldn’t stop the fear from creeping into her voice or the grimace that crossed her face as she realized that despite the healing waters the pain she was experiencing continued to increase.

“She will be fine. And if she makes it a point to come visit me for some healing sessions the recovery should be swift,” Katara’s eyes crinkled as she spoke and a thin smile played on her face. “Aang was a very spiritual Avatar and there were a number of occasions where his spirit suffered as a result of his exploits, but rest and meditation always helped him recover and eventually I developed a method for assuaging the worst of it.”

Asami nodded, grateful for the reassurance despite her growing concern as the minutes dragged on and her pain only grew. _Oh, Korra. I know you’re strong, but you shouldn’t have to push yourself so hard. Please come back to me soon._ No matter how much she wanted to Asami resisted the urge to send their single to Korra asking if she was alright- the last thing Korra needed right now was for Asami to break her focus on whatever fierce battle was raging.

Finally, Asami noticed that the growing agony she was experiencing plateaued. She almost didn’t dare to hope that the fight was finally over, but after a short time with no noticeable change Asami sent out three pulses to Korra. When two pulses reached her left hand, Asami let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding. As she shared the good news with Katara and Senna, Asami began to rise, fully intent on watching the horizon for Korra’s return. It took both the master healer’s insistence and promises from Senna to keep watch for Asami to remain submerged in the healing pool.

* * *

Korra lay down in Oogi’s saddle, her father, Kya and Bumi beside her and Mako and Bolin slumped together asleep on her other side, while Tenzin sat up front guiding the Sky Bison toward Katara’s healing hut in the White Lotus Compound. It was a stroke of good fortune that Oogi had the sense to begin returning to the spirit portal- unbidden by any command. While Naga was certainly Korra’s favorite riding companion, outside of Asami, Oogi certainly offered a more direct and therefore faster means of travel.

Bumi and Kya spoke in hushed tones, and Tenzin was all but mute as he focused ahead. Tonraq said nothing opting to stroke his daughter’s hand and stare with worry. _They probably think I’m asleep._ Korra realized and though she lay with her eyes closed and was exhausted, from battle and the pain inside her that refused to abate, she wouldn’t let herself slip away- not until she saw Asami. The thought of how worried and upset she must be twisted Korra’s insides. _I have to be the worst soulmate ever. No one should have to endure this with me._

As Bumi became more agitated, and consequently louder, because no one believed that his trusty flute could control dark spirits- Tonraq finally spoke up- saying that he didn’t want Korra’s rest to be disturbed. Korra almost spoke up- to tell her father that she wasn’t asleep and try to reassure them all that she would be fine, but she hesitated. If her father knew she was awake- he’d want to talk to her and while there was much she wanted to say to her father- thanking him for everything, apologizing again for getting so angry about his overprotectiveness, how glad she was that he was alright, she was sure he would ask about Asami and start trying to get some insight into their soulmate relationship. And okay, yeah, she was going to tell her parents after Harmonic Convergence, but she expected- no wanted- maybe even needed- to confront that topic with Asami by her side.

Asami. How did she want to frame their relationship to Korra’s parents? Obviously they were soulmates and they were dating- right? Yeah, they kissed and cuddled and more than that- Asami brought her so much comfort and peace, but they hadn’t really talked about what that meant for them. And what should they say, when Senna inevitably asked about how in love they were? Korra had such strong feelings for Asami- her concern for her well-being and the happiness she felt when they were together and she definitely didn’t like having to be away from her. But was that love? And did Asami feel the same way or did she feel something more or spirits forbid less? Was that what she was going to say back on Varrick’s ship before Tenzin had interrupted them- that she loved her? Did Korra want her to? What would she say back and what if that wasn’t what Asami had wanted to say?

No. She needed to talk to Asami first- being wrapped up in each other’s arms would go a long way to alleviate all these concerns and they could figure out how to approach the discussion with her parents afterwards. Even if they already knew because of Unalaq, they should still talk about it officially, even just between their mutual friends and mentors- it seemed like everyone had already found out, but it still warranted a discussion to clear the air.

All these worries did an excellent job at passing the time and soon Korra felt Oogi’s telltale descent that meant they were reaching their destination. As Oogi’s feet touched the ground, Korra forced herself to sit up and began climbing off of the gentle beast. Despite her father’s exclamations of objection and requests for her to accept some assistance- she pressed on. It was only a few feet to the healing hut and only a short staircase after that to be inside. She wasn’t going to make Asami wait and worry any longer. _I’m here now. I really hope you’re doing better than I am. I…_

But Senna suddenly appeared from the doorway, just as Korra was reaching it. Her mother had maneuvered Korra’s left arm over her shoulders and wrapped her right arm around Korra’s back and under her shoulder immediately taking on some of Korra’s weight. Senna appeared so suddenly and acted so swiftly that Korra didn’t even have time to protest and begrudgingly let Senna help her into the healing hut. Korra’s focus was on finding Asami and as her eyes swept over every person in the room- desperately searching for her and not finding her and just as the panic began to set it, she realized her mother was speaking to her in a whisper so that no one else could hear.

“… her pain, but Katara’s treatment should be able to significantly speed up your recovery.” What? Kya had already examined her back in the spirit world- not that she was doubting Katara’s healing skills, but Korra figured that whatever Avatar issues plagued her was something she’d have to figure out on her own. Then again Katara was Aang’s soulmate, so she likely could have experience in dealing with Avatar related problems.

As the doors to the back room of the healing hut slid open to reveal Katara preparing to receive the Avatar, Korra’s eyes were drawn to the dark haired girl resting in the healing pool facing away from her. Korra lurched forward away from her mother, stumbling onto her knees beside the pool, reaching out a hand to cup the girl’s cheek. “Asami,” Korra breathed- relief washing over her now that they were finally reunited. As Asami’s head was turned to look over and up by the insistence of the hand suddenly cupping her face, her green eyes widened in surprise and relief. Korra saw the flicker of various emotions cross those eyes settling into joy- pinpricks of tears forming at the sides of those green orbs.

Anything Asami was about to say was cut off as Korra’s lips crashed against hers- hard. Korra having pulled Asami up by reaching her other hand down to support her back, while leaning over further to close what little distance the height difference caused. Where Asami had been the one trying to pour all of her emotions into a single kiss before they left Varrick’s boat, now it was Korra who was frantic- pleading almost, as she desperately kissed Asami. Saving the world hadn’t felt as good as Asami’s lips on her own. She let herself be swept away in the feeling, eyes closed to block out the rest of the world.

Korra felt Asami’s hands on her neck and shoulders just before the dark haired girl broke the kiss. Korra having been leaning so hard into the kiss that she would have lost her balance if not for the support Asami’s hands offered as she pushed back against Korra’s shoulders. Korra paused for only an instant before trying to lean in again- _please we’re back together- don’t push me away._ The pressure of Asami’s hands on her shoulders only increased the harder Korra leaned forward- forcing her to open her eyes. Korra couldn’t quite read the expression on Asami’s face and her mind raced. _Is she mad at me for everything that happened? Wait, no- she’s not like that. Is she uncomfortable because my mom walked me in- I told her that it didn’t matter if my parents were around… but what if it matters to her? She seemed to be teasing when she asked, but… Spirits! I was spitting blood earlier- could she taste it? Oh man, that’s gross- there’s no way she appreciated that._

“Korra! Are you even listening?” Senna chastised. Given her mother’s concern for her well-being, Korra must really have been ignoring her for a while for her to have used such a harsh tone. But it didn’t seem like that much time could have passed- she was only kissing Asami for a few seconds… or was it? Korra realized she was surprisingly out of breath.

“Uh, no. I wasn’t. Sorry, what were you saying,” Korra apologized and turned to look at her mother and the master healer. She went to scratch the back of her neck with that crooked smile plastered on her face, but instantly regretted it. Even the simple movement required too much effort and the pain spiked in her arms and core. The anguish came resounding back to the forefront of her mind, as she clutched her hands to her chest wincing in pain.

“Take off your coat and get in the tub with me, so Katara can treat you.” Asami almost sounded annoyed, if it weren’t for the concern lacing her voice, but Korra’s face grew a bright red for an entirely different reason. Asami called the healing pool a ‘tub’ and while it was no more than a simple slip of word choice, calling it a ‘tub’ just made it sound so much more _intimate._ And it wasn’t like they were bathing together or anything- even without her coat Korra would be fully dressed- and Asami was fully dressed too- so it wasn’t weird. And so what if they bathed together anyway- they were both girls and soulmates- it could be perfectly normal. Not that she was thinking about bathing with Asami, or seeing her nak-

Korra practically tore her coat off, before all but collapsing into the pool beside Asami. Katara immediately began moving her hands over the water to begin whatever healing technique Korra’s mother mentioned to her earlier. Senna, assured that Korra was being taken care of, exited the room- presumably to check in with Tonraq or maybe Jinora and likely her other friends as well. As the healing water flowed over her body, Korra felt the pain ease, however slightly, and she relaxed leaning her head into the comforting crook of Asami’s neck and left shoulder. As she breathed easily and felt the comforting lacing of Asami’s fingers through her own, Korra closed her eyes, practically ready to fall into some much-needed sleep.

* * *

Despite Korra’s promise to find her and kiss her “so hard” after she defeated Unalaq, Asami hadn’t expected to be pulled into such a deep and desperate kiss. Surprise at the suddenness and intensity with which Korra kissed her, left her staring at Korra’s disheveled hair and worn face, for only a moment before she responded in kind. Asami closed her eyes to match her soulmate so that nothing but his moment existed. She understood the raw emotion that poured from her other half- they had just endured and suffered so much- and Korra was trying to return to safe harbor, to apologize for everything when nothing was her fault, and just so happy to be back together.

The unabashed passion with which Korra was kissing her sent her reeling. The pleasure and joy at having Korra back in one piece and kissing her again was enough to drown out all of their shared pain and Asami let herself get swept away in it. All too soon, she came back to reality, Katara and Senna in particular were trying to get their attention and Korra really did need some healing treatment. Reluctantly she broke the kiss and it wasn’t until Korra was lying against her in the tub, that she really began to take in just how badly Korra was injured.

“What’s actually wrong with me? Kya said she didn’t notice anything physically wrong with my body. Besides all the minor stuff anyway,” Korra spoke as she opened her eyes again to focus on Katara, not more than a minute after she closed them. Asami stared down at those beautiful blue orbs always shining with so much hope and almost sighed. The various cuts and bruises that marred her exposed arms, but especially the twin scratches under Korra’s right eye- that were much deeper than Asami had realized, now that she was seeing them up close- seeing Korra up close immediately after such a fight- her heart ached.

 _These aren’t that minor, Korra. You shouldn’t have to be so used to getting hurt that you brush it off. I know you’re strong and that you have a high pain tolerance, but just because you’re the Avatar doesn’t mean pain and discomfort should be normal for you._ So much she wanted to say, but Korra wouldn’t understand- she was the Avatar and far too good and selfless to think that she could enjoy comfort. Pain and struggle was normalized for her- _probably because of the White Lotus upbringing_. These private thoughts she wouldn’t share- couldn’t share. Not even with Korra. This was just how life was for the Avatar- there was always something to be protected or someone to save or some evil force to be stopped. Asami did the only thing she could- she squeezed Korra’s right hand a little tighter, rubbing her thumb against Korra’s hand in soothing gentle circles and twisted her left arm that Korra was leaning against to rest her open hand on Korra’s side- to give her the sensation of being held. No sooner had she done so, than Korra captured it in her free hand and laced their fingers together the same way they were on the right.

“But I don’t understand, I didn’t really feel any pain in the spirit world when I tried to close the portals and I barely noticed any pain at first while I was actually fighting Unavaatu.” Katara must have explained about her spirit being hurt. Korra shifted her attention from Katara to look up at Asami, never moving her head from its resting place on her shoulder. “You didn’t mention feeling pain, while I was away with Tenzin- did you?” Asami assured her that the only discomfort she felt was minor- like how sleeping on a limb the wrong way all night was cause for a dull ache.

“When you were attempting to close the spirit portals,” Katara began sounding like she had all the answers and drawing both girls’ eyes to her, “You were still merged with Raava and that likely gives your spirit much more resilience to damage. But that was only a few days ago- not much time for your spirit to recover. Then not only was Raava ripped from your own spirit, but the stress, fatigue, and damage done during your confrontation with Unavaatu certainly pushed you past your limit. The magnitude of the pain increased upon returning to your body because the body is, in a sense, a receptacle for one’s pain- meaning there is a slight disconnect between the two. As for your increased pain, Asami,” Katara continued to speak never once stopping the movement of her hands or the flow of healing water. “Spiritual damage isn’t like physical damage. Physical pain is always felt by the soulmate to a lesser extent because the pain isn’t happening to you directly, but spiritual pain isn’t muted in the same way. You’re _soul_ mates after all- what happens to one spirit is almost precisely what the other experiences. This isn’t typically an issue for most people, since there are very few individuals who can even manage to enter the spirit world or manifest their spirit outside their body in order to experience such a thing in the first place. The Avatar, however, is something of a unique case.” Although she smiled warmly- there was still the hint of sadness in her voice. She must be remembering Aang and their life together- Asami figured.

“I guess that makes sense,” Korra spoke softly and leaned more heavily against Asami, her comforting presence and gentle touch slowly lolling the Avatar into a drowsy state of mind. “This healing technique of yours is really working though- I’m beginning to feel a bit better already.” Asami agreed and planted a gentle kiss to Korra’s forehead as her held tilted back and blue eyes closed again. Asami couldn’t stop herself from feeling a bit proud that she shared such a deep connection with Korra- knowing that all of the pain she was feeling wasn’t lessened meant that she was the one person in the world who could truly appreciate what Korra had gone through and just how difficult moving on from the battle could be.

“You should both get some rest now, this will be a lengthy session and I’ll make sure to wake you when it’s over so that you can find a more appropriate place to sleep for the night.” Asami was going to decline the offer- it seemed inappropriate to sleep when she and Korra were wrapped up together and when the master healer was likely exhausted herself. One look at Korra who merely murmured her thanks without so much as moving a muscle, was enough to prevent Asami from speaking up. Korra’s eyes were still closed and her breathing was slow and even- if she wasn’t already asleep, she was about to be.

Though the pain she shared with Korra was magnitudes less than it was before, Asami doubted she’d be able to sleep so easily with the discomfort. “You really pushed yourself didn’t you,” Asami barely whispered- she didn’t mean to voice her thoughts aloud. It was in this moment that Asami secretly wished Korra wasn’t the Avatar. _Everyone sees you as nothing other than an omnipotent agent for balance and peace. Protector of the world and force for good. And you are- you’re an amazing Avatar and you inspire me and so many other people around the world. But you’re still only human and 18 and too young to be responsible for stopping eternal darkness and crazed terrorists and I love you too much to be okay with watching you sacrifice everything and …_

Wait. Did she really just think that? Love Korra? Of course she loved Korra- they were best friends, soulmates and she almost said it back on Varrick’s ship, but she hadn’t dared to even let herself think it- yet. But now she thought it all the same and it was true. _I love you, Korra. So much that I’m being selfish. You’re the Avatar- and I know how much that means to you. I just wish that the world, that life, that FATE would let you have an easier time of it. Maybe so that we could just be together- peacefully. At least for a little while…_

Asami closed her eyes. Now wasn’t the time for such thoughts- Korra was right here with her. Safe. And there was no way anything bad could happen in the near future. Eternal darkness was stopped and no other world ending threat was around. Future industries reverted back to Asami and the PR boost from the Nuktuk films surely would help her business prospects and the company was even in the black because they wouldn’t have to return the money Varrick spent on shares. Everything was alright and would be for a while at least. She could make sure to have time to enjoy life with Korra for the foreseeable future. For now though resting was a good idea. And as Asami focused on the gentle breathing and comforting warmth of having Korra pressed against her, she found herself drifting into a restful slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I truly hope that you enjoyed the conclusion to Harmonic Convergence and that this chapter truly did offer some closure for the story. As I mentioned, I will be continuing to post new chapters and indeed I have a rather large number of them already written (covering all of book 3). It is presently my intention to post a new chapter more or less weekly, which should give me time to continue to write new material, add to/polish already completed chapters, and do my final revisions for the chapter that is up next for posting. To be completely transparent, when I say more or less weekly I do mean every 6-9 days all depending on my workload and how much time I’ve been able to dedicate to writing (and while it is my intent to post weekly, that schedule may slip for a variety of reasons, not the least of which would be because I finally post all of the chapters that I have written and would need more time to actually produce the new content). Finally, I thank you for reading and welcome any and all comments and constructive criticism.


	2. Chapter 39: A New Age

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again I apologize for the lengthy note preceding the chapter, but if it is any consolation going forward this should be a rarity (if for no other reason than I personally do not appreciate a block of text before any given chapter). However, there are a few points that do need to be addressed. Firstly, I want this to be considered both fair and the last warning that going forward you will be subjected to both my interpretation/presentation of this story and that there is NOT going to be a true stopping point until the conclusion of the story. Secondly, I do believe (even though I am not perfectly clear on where the line is) that this story will be in the ‘M’ rating on account of the developing relationship between Korra and Asami, the violence that is occasionally present in the narrative, the subsequent injuries/pain that result from some of the violence, and some of the mental health issues that develop later on. Along those same lines, I fully intend on being as “realistic” as I can be and do not intend to shy away from just how serious some/all of these things can be (so do considerate this as the only heads up about potential "trigger warnings" going forward). In regards to this chapter specifically, this chapter is my segue from book 2 to 3. In other words, this chapter is ultimately mostly fluff, but there are (hopefully) some happy and funny moments for us to enjoy.

“You’re going to be late,” Asami giggled as Korra’s strong arms pulled her back to resume the deep kiss they had been sharing. With Korra’s left hand tangled in her hair, and the right wrapped firmly around her lower back, Asami was effectively trapped as she lay on top of the Avatar. Asami’s own arms were pinned beneath Korra, having been wrapped around her in a tight embrace before Korra pulled them backwards so that they were lying on their bed, sharing passionate open mouthed kisses. 

Their bed. That was still a strange idea. The Southern Council of Elders had recently appointed Korra’s father to be the new chief- effectively making the repaired and refurbished palace Korra’s new home. When Tonraq asked Korra about how she wanted her new room furnished and how many beds she thought she’d want, Korra opted for sparse, having few material things and one bed, clearly missing the double meaning of her father’s question. As such when he met up with them after the last of Katara’s healing sessions, he insisted on showing them the changes to the palace, ending with what was apparently “their room” before pushing them inside, as neither girl moved- having been rooted to the floor in shock and closing the door.

The room itself was beautiful, if simple and sparsely furnished, exactly to Korra’s taste. A desk with chair, an enormous bureau, a small bookshelf tucked in a corner, and two nightstands were the only pieces of furniture, besides the massive bed, which still left ample floor space for Korra to practice her bending footwork or for Naga to comfortably sleep with them. Given that Korra’s wardrobe was somewhat lacking in both variety and size and given that she wasn’t much of a writer- it was likely that both the desk and extra large bureau were selected with Asami in mind.

Once Korra had found her voice, she began pacing and talking really fast and tripping over her words trying to explain, what she thought, what her father did, and trying to frame everything so that she didn’t somehow upset her soulmate. Asami capitalized on the opportunity, cupping the Avatar’s face with both hands to stop her rambling and then planting a gentle kiss on the lips, while pushing her backwards until her knees hit the bed. Asami looked down at Korra’s beautiful blue eyes and darkening face, pleased that she looked both excited and bashful. It was at that moment, as Asami remembered about her personal vow to make the most of what peaceful time she had with Korra, that she helped herself into the Avatar’s lap, placing her knees on either side and wrapping both arms firmly around her back.

As Korra tilted her head to look up at her, Asami leaned in and began kissing her soulmate with a fervor and passion she had been trying to restrain in days and weeks prior. She was pleased when Korra let a soft moan escape her lips, when they paused for a breath of fresh air, but had been worried that such an event would embarrass Korra and end the moment. That was when Korra wrapped her arms around Asami and pulled down so that she was lying on top of her. And that is where they still were many minutes later.

Asami for her part couldn’t be happier; this was what she had been dreaming of all week. The last traces of pain from the damage to Korra’s spirit were gone, there was no looming threat forcing them to be apart or cause Asami to be worried about Korra and best of all- they could just be together, enjoying everything about that, with no one else around. But they really had been here, on their bed, for a really long time now and Korra had a speech to give- addressing the civil war, harmonic convergence and the spirits- a speech that was going to be filled with press and broadcast over the world via radio.

“Korra…” She tried again.

“…mmm- Asami…” Korra breathed in response.

Despite her resolve Asami found herself drawn deeper into the kiss as an increasingly familiar heat worked its way through her body. Why was this so hard? _Because you’re being selfish again and don’t want this to end- probably more than her._ Asami reprimanded herself. Korra had to give this speech and after that they were supposed to meet with their friends to “clear the air” about their soulmate relationship. “Korra,” Asami turned her head to the side, despite the hand in her hair insisting she keep their lips pressed together. “You’re going to be late to give your speech. After that we can- mmmm…”

Korra’s lips unable to reach Asami’s own, found their way to her neck instead. That was new and if felt _really_ good- the way that Korra sucked as her teeth grazed the tender skin, as her tongue… _When did Korra get this assertive or this persistent in her advances?_ Not that she was complaining, but… “Korra! We can continue this later, but everyone is going to be waiting for you.” Asami let just a tinge of annoyance lace her voice- she couldn’t be the reason that the Avatar wasn’t present for her public appearance. Not only was it too important, but there was always the chance the public could figure out that they were soulmates and they had agreed it was better that the world didn’t know- that way Asami couldn’t be used as leverage against the Avatar.

Korra groaned in frustration as she let her arms fall onto the bed above her head, allowing Asami to sit up and look down at her. Given that Asami was now straddling her, she had to resist the urge to give in to Korra’s adorable pout and resume their heated make out. “I’m no good at giving speeches and after that we have to talk to everyone about how we’re soulmates. And then there’s the giant feast to celebrate my dad becoming chief, and then we have to return to Republic City tomorrow so that way I can look into whatever vine problem they keep sending me messages about. And once we’re back, you’re going to be busy with Future Industries and I’m going to get pulled around to fix spirits know what else. And that’s before the next world ending disaster that’s bound to pop up- so if we leave now then everything is going to be ruined!” Korra was talking fast and growing continually louder- almost shouting by the time she finished.

Asami was shocked- _she feels the same way I do. She wants to enjoy what little peace we have together._ Asami’s heart fluttered. In a strange way that was probably the most romantic thing Korra could have said. She knew, indeed essentially everyone knew, how much pride and joy Korra took in being the Avatar, despite the struggles and stress that came with the role. And here she was practically throwing her Avatar duties to the side because of her feelings for Asami.

“I’m sorry- that sounded angry. I’m not mad. I’m just- I just don’t want this to end.” Korra’s voice softer now sounded forlorn. Korra reached back up tenderly placing her hands on the dark haired girls neck and stroking her thumbs over her cheeks. Blue eyes filled with tender raw emotion and pierced the green ones gazing back at her. Asami worked her hands out from underneath Korra and framed Korra’s face with her hands.

As Asami held her gaze, she found her thumb rubbing the space under Korra’s right eye, where there was no longer a trace of the twin cuts. Asami wasn’t sure what to say, she didn’t want this to end either, but they couldn’t just ignore their responsibilities- they were both too important in their respective roles. Then she felt it, a deep sadness that resonated through her, but wasn’t her own. “You’re really upset about this.” As Asami spoke, Korra looked away and turned her head to the side, as she began retracting her hands from Asami’s cheeks. “I’m upset too, but we can’t hide from the rest of the world. They’d find us if we tried.” Asami caught Korra’s hands with her own and rolled off to flop on the bed so they were once again making eye contact.

“I’m not going anywhere. We’re still going to be together every chance we get. There will be plenty more quiet moments- for just the two of us like this and if we encounter trouble then we’ll figure it out together.” Asami smiled trying her best to reassure Korra that even if they got pulled back into a harsher reality upon returning to Republic City, that things would work out, so long as they were together.

“That’s the problem!” Korra almost yelled, the frustration plain to see on her face, as she sat upright and pulled her hands from Asami’s grasp to ball her fists in front of her. _But we were just…Don’t you want me with you, Korra?_ She continued speaking, no less frustrated, but with less edge to her voice, “Figuring things out together means fighting whoever or whatever, which inevitably means getting injured and hurting you.” Korra turned to look back at Asami who was still lying on her side. _I don’t understand. Korra, what are you saying?_

“Asami… I… I hate causing you pain. And I…” Korra hesitated; her eyes wet with unshed tears. Asami couldn’t believe her ears and in the silence her mind raced. _I don’t care about the pain Korra- you’re not choosing to hurt me, it’s just part of being soulmates. And you, what? Don’t want me around? Would it be easier if you didn’t see me feel your pain with you? Can you not fight as hard knowing someone else suffers with you?_ “Care about you, so much.” She finished after another moment’s hesitation.

Asami’s heart soared- Korra felt the same way she did and for once she was actually voicing her feelings so Asami didn’t need to wonder or wish that she’d be more open. Asami quickly sat up and she threw her arms around Korra in a tight hug, snuggling Korra’s head under her chin. “I feel the same way- I care about you so much, Korra. That’s why I want to be by your side always. You’re not causing me any pain. The fact that we’re soulmates and experience each other’s pain, simply means that I’m the only person in the whole world who can truly understand whatever you may be going through- and you’re mine. It’s not something you should apologize for or feel bad about. Being able to feel you comforts me.” Asami spoke soothingly rubbing Korra’s back.

“Our soulmate bond and shared pain is a good thing- how else would I know that you still feel bad?” Asami teased after a few moments of silence. Korra pulled away slightly so that they could look each other in the eyes. Asami smiled as the usual brightness and shimmer of hope was once again dancing in the blue orbs looking back at her. Asami placed a gentle kiss to Korra’s lips before pressing their foreheads together, noses touching and was relieved as she felt Korra’s emotional pain fading away. “Now, before you say anything else- let’s get those wolftails straightened out and my lipstick off of your face. We really are late now.”

Korra relented, but continued to pout and complain that she’d rather not have to make public appearances or give speeches. Asami continued to tease and encourage her soulmate- anything to keep her smiling and on the verge of laughing. Once Korra’s hair was straitened out and the last of the lipstick wiped from her face, Asami pulled out her pocket mirror and began touching up her makeup.

While Asami worked to cover up an increasingly dark spot on her neck, a thought occurred to her, “By the way, where did you get the inspiration for kissing my neck?”

Korra blushed and replied meekly, “That book you got me for my birthday, with the very fulfilling plot: _The Ember Island Tryst._ ” Both girls burst out into a fit of laughter and light teasing as they left their room to head to the front of the palace and the press conference.

* * *

Korra hated having to speak publically- she didn’t have the patience for such formal events or the necessary tact to avoid having all the news outlets twist everything she said into something horrible. She had shown up late to give her speech and while no one questioned the Avatar’s tardiness, since Tonraq said she was still managing the aftermath of Harmonic Convergence, Korra still hated every minute of being in front of the crowd, which is why she was especially annoyed that she was being forced to listen to herself over the crackle of a radio. “…My mission will always be to use Raava's light spirit to guide the world toward peace and balance. Harmonic Convergence has caused a shift in the planet's energy, I can feel it. Things will never be the same again. We are entering a new age.” Korra switched off the radio with a frustrated sigh, “Remind me again, why I had to listen to my speech, when I literally just got finished giving it.”

“Because!” Bolin shouted animatedly, “How cool is it that you get to hear yourself on the radio? Besides it was a really awesome speech! Now just imagine if Varrick can match that up with some camera work of you doing your Avatar thing! You’d be like- at least a big of a star as Nuktuk! Everyone would recognize you wherever you go- and you’d get a whole bunch of free stuff! And… what?” Having realized that everyone else in the room was staring at him with disapproval, he was forced to look around confused, wondering what he said wrong.

“Seriously, Bo?” Mako broke the tension first, “We’re here to talk about Korra and Asami- not Varrick or your mover.”

“Varrick’s in jail for trying to steal my company,” Asami though angry, kept her voice calm. “Why should Korra or any of us, want to associate with him?”

“Yeah, and no offense Bolin, but I’m the Avatar. People already recognize me, pretty much anywhere I go.” She felt bad for piling on to the criticism Bolin received, but Korra couldn’t help but worry that even the mention of Varrick might sour Asami’s mood.

“Sorry, I know, but Varrick’s really not a bad guy- and I just thought…” Bolin was cut off again before he could finish his train of thought.

“He got me arrested!” Mako’s anger got the better of him as he shouted. Surprisingly, Korra’s parents came to Bolin’s defense, since it was Varrick who was responsible for getting the south the necessary weaponry they needed to turn the tide in the war. Of course that dragged Asami back into the argument on account of the personal and business strife that it caused.

 _Why do things like this always happen? This was supposed to be quick discussion- hey everyone, owlcat’s out of the bag- Asami and I are soulmates. Don’t make it weird and don’t tell anyone to hopefully prevent her from getting captured. Please don’t ask for details about our love life._ Korra locked eyes with Tenzin, who, fortunately was the only other person not involved in the debate about whether or not Varrick was or wasn’t a bad dude.

“Enough,” Korra yelled over the ruckus silencing them and drawing everyone’s attention to her. As they quieted down, Asami blushed, clearly embarrassed at having been drawn into the argument in the first place and moved to stand beside her. “Look, we just wanted to talk to everyone about the elephantkoi in the room. Asami and I are soulmates- and we know that you already know and we’re sorry that we didn’t tell everyone when we first found out. We didn’t want any outside pressure to be anything other than whatever we want to be.” She paused to grasp Asami’s hand in one of her own. “So, we’re kind of dating now…”

“Kind of?” Asami’s surprise at Korra’s phrasing was evident as a mixture of shock and hurt slid across her face, but it was Senna who spoke up. Korra froze, tossing glances between how hurt Asami looked and the quirked eyebrow on her mother’s face that signaled she didn’t believe Korra for a minute. _Asami, I’m just trying to get through this, we just talked about our feelings and maybe we didn’t talk about if we were actually dating or not, but we don’t need a label for us to be officially together. And Mom, please don’t bring up what happened during Harmonic Convergence- it was- I was- I… just really had to kiss Asami, with everything going on and…_

“How much is ‘kind of’?”Bolin asked with a raised hand- despite the elbow he received from his brother. Korra was forced to acknowledge her father’s questioning look as well- _he was the one that came up with the excuse for me being late, after he left us alone in ‘our room.’ I can’t imagine what he’s thinking, or I can, but it wasn’t like that- we were just…_

“Okay! We _are_ dating! As in we’ve been on one date, since we haven’t really had the time for another with everything going on and we’ve kissed,” Korra grabbed Asami suddenly and planted a short chaste kiss on her lips to emphasize her point and so that hopefully no one would make a big deal out of it, if they were caught in the future. Korra took only the briefest moment to examine everyone’s reaction, Tenzin was as red as she’d ever seen him as he stared at the ceiling, clearly embarrassed by the whole conversation as well as witnessing the kiss. Bolin’s eyes practically sparkled with joy, as he stared at the pair with his hands clasped in front of him, where Mako stood awkwardly with his hands in his pockets- trying not to look at either girl and failing, _he did have something of a relationship with both of us, even if we moved past it as friends, it must still be hard on him_. As for her parents, Senna beamed and Tonraq looked almost smug about his daughters display.

Korra continued speaking hurriedly, trying to move the conversation along as quickly as possible, while her face colored considerably, “But none of you really need the details and it’s not really a secret anymore. The soulmate bond I mean, not the kissing. Or actually it is kind of a secret, but you guys know, which is okay, just don’t tell anyone else. I mean, you can tell people, like Kya, Bumi, Pema, or the kids or we can tell them- I guess, because we’re open about it- our relationship, or the kissing too, but that’s not- I mean- other people-”

“I think what Korra is trying to say,” Asami spoke up, a wide grin on her face as she took a step forward and placed a reassuring hand on the Avatar’s shoulder. “Is that we’re very grateful for you supporting us and our relationship. And while we aren’t going to be hiding our relationship from any of you, we aren’t going to make our soulmate bond public either. I think we can all agree that we don’t want anyone using me as leverage against the Avatar, like Unalaq did, or to torture me so that…”

 _Asami! That’s way too dark- I can’t believe you’d even think something like that._ “Right, so yeah,” Korra cut Asami off, it was her turn to try and save this increasingly awkward conversation from going in a differently bad direction. “We don’t want the whole world to know we’re soulmates, but we know. And you all know and we know you know… and you all know that the rest of you know. Alright? Soooo… that’s it- no one has to pretend like they don’t know and it’s not a secret between any of us. Okay? Questions- no- good!”

Korra was already reaching for Asami’s hand, fully planning on dragging her soulmate along as she ran from the room to avoid any more embarrassment. The sound of Tenzin clearing his throat and catching her gaze, forced her to pause in such an endeavor. _Spirits- Tenzin, hasn’t this gone on long enough? You look even more uncomfortable than I feel._

“Korra,” Tenzin began, face red and no longer able to hold her gaze. “I was just wondering since, Tonraq advised me of your, um, living arrangements, if you were going to need similar accommodations on Air Temple Island or if you would be returning with Miss Sato to her estate?” Korra froze and she felt Asami stiffen beside her. She couldn’t be mad at him- it was a fair question. It was always the plan for her to return to living on Air Temple Island after the Glacier Spirits Festival and the tours of the air temples; everything that happened with the spirits, civil war, and Unalaq simply prevented any of that from happening. If her father made mention that she was sleeping with Asami… or not sleeping _with_ Asami, but sleeping _next to_ Asami then he certainly needed to know, where she was staying and what to tell anyone who might encounter them.

_This whole idea was a mistake. Why did I think it was a good idea to even bring this up? I mean it might have been more awkward for everyone to try and figure out who knew and if it was okay for them to talk about, but at least then they wouldn’t all be staring, thinking about Asami and I in bed together. And what am I supposed to say- I mean Asami and I have shared a bed before- on Varrick’s ship and a sleeping bag when we first went to the southern spirit portal, but should we make that a normal thing? And doesn’t staying at Asami’s estate mean moving in? That seems like a really big step, but maybe it isn’t? Since we aren’t making our relationship public, maybe it makes more sense for me to stay with Tenzin- I just don’t know how Asami feels about sharing a room…_

“What living arrangements are we talking about here, exactly?” Bolin once again speaking up, despite yet another forceful elbow from his brother. “And can we move back in with you Asami? Your place is great! Not that Air temple Island isn’t great- it’s just that Asami has a pool… and stuff.” Bolin finished hesitantly alternating looks between Tenzin’s stern face and Asami who was blushing fiercely.

Korra and Asami stared at each other for a long moment, each of their faces crimson. Korra anxiously shifted her weight between each foot, while Asami bit the inside of her lip hard enough for her to feel it. Finally, Korra broke the tension, clearing her throat before saying absolutely nothing and instead choosing to stare at the ground. _Fighting Unalaq and his dark spirits was easier than this. Please let this be over already._ “We… um… Korra and I…” Asami tried to fill the silence and salvage the conversation, but was clearly too overwhelmed to figure out what to say.

Tonraq came to his daughter’s rescue by telling Tenzin it would likely be best if he aired on the side of caution and made preparations in the same manner that he had. Of course in doing so this prompted Bolin to inquire as to what they were talking about and even Mako wanted to confirm that whatever it was didn’t affect them. Senna was the true saving grace to resolve the issue- saying that the two girls were embarrassed enough and clearly had said all they wanted to, while assuring the bending brothers that nothing going on would negatively affect them. After which, she suggested that everyone return to their rooms to get ready for the feast that was only a few hours away, finally granting Korra and Asami the ability to flee from the room.

* * *

Korra lay in bed, hands behind her head atop the fur blankets trying desperately to think of something to say. She found the palace to be quite warm, compared to what she was used to and was consequently comfortable in her usual night attire- a simple white tank top and loose blue baggy pants. Despite her comfort, the weather and ambient temperature was still cold, by all accounts and she kept an extra thick blue bathrobe on the foot of the bed in case necessity demanded it.

After another few moments of silence passed, Korra chanced yet another glance toward her soulmate, who was sitting up in bed with the blankets pulled over her lap. Asami clad in elegant pajamas in varying shades of purple, red and white, had her back pressed against the headboard while sipping on some tea. After the feast had officially ended, Korra had been called away for some final official photos featuring the Avatar beside her father surrounded by the Council of Elders. Asami had opted to retire to their room, with a promise to wait up for Korra.

Once the photos were taken and she had finally appeased the elders with enough small talk to be able to politely exit, Korra opted to make one final stop by the kitchen in order to bring some tea for Asami. Upon entering the room, she found her soulmate sitting in bed and reading some reports about a new Future Industries airship model, that was nearing completion. Korra passed Asami the tea, with an explanation that she worried the dark haired girl may be cold, before turning away- mentally preparing to change into her sleepwear in the least awkward way possible.

The first conundrum she had to solve was if she should leave their room to change- on the one hand, leaving could afford her the most privacy, but she didn’t want to seem uncomfortable with Asami. On the other, if she stayed it would certainly be more intimate, but Korra couldn’t be sure she was altogether comfortable with being seen. It wasn’t that she was ashamed of her body, quite the opposite was true- she was very proud of how physically fit she was, given how hard she worked for it, which was part of the reason she liked to display her strong arms and toned core. However, stripping down almost completely in front of anyone, even her soulmate/girlfriend was new and unprecedented territory. Did she really want to expose herself so completely? Did Asami want her to? At what point does dating/kissing/soulmate stuff turn into _that?_ And no matter how strong her feelings for her soulmate were, she definitely wasn’t ready for everything that _that_ entailed.

Asami must have anticipated such a mental debate to plague her partner and was quick to tell Korra that she would be sure to turn away while she changed into her nightwear. Korra expressed her gratitude before hurriedly stripping off her iconic attire- leaving her clothes in a heap before taking out her wolftails and jumping onto the bed in her pajamas. 

_Come on say something! We’ve talked about all kinds of stuff over the past few months. Asami is more than just a soulmate- we’re best friends too and we’ve shared a bed before, so this isn’t really new territory. Except last time, I had just woken up from almost dying and decided to stay up for most of the night practicing kissing her…_

“So… what’s your favorite food?” Korra finally managed to speak up. _Idiot! What kind of a question is that? If things weren’t awkward before they definitely are now._

Asami burst out laughing, “That’s what you’ve been building up the courage to ask me?” Korra groaned and pulled the pillow out from under her head to cover her face. Asami still chucking reached over and pulled the pillow away from Korra forcing her to make eye contact. “Dumplings. My mom used to make her signature secret recipe dumplings, I don’t remember them very well, but she only made them on my- father’s birthday and the occasional holiday.” There was only the slightest hesitation as she referred to Hiroshi as her father, but Korra noticed and began to apologize. Asami shook her head, “It’s fine. What about you? What is the almighty Avatar’s favorite food?”

Her phrasing elicited a chuckle from Korra, who snatched her pillow back to again rest it under her head. She was still conflicted though- Asami was clearly upset about Hiroshi and she did want to try and help her process whatever she may be feeling, but Asami clearly didn’t want to talk about it. Ultimately, Korra decided it was likely best not to force the issue- they could talk about it once she was ready. “My mom’s Octopus Stew.” Korra had the crooked grin on her face as she thought about it. “Next time we’re back here, I’ll have her make it for you so you can try it.” Having finally broken the tension and moved past the mental block of sharing a bed and changing in the same space, Korra again felt at ease and smiled at Asami’s face, which suggested she was highly skeptical of “Octopus Stew.”

“Would you heat up my tea?” Asami abruptly changed the topic and extended her hand holding the teacup in Korra’ direction. “It’s cooled down a lot and despite how long I’ve been here- I still feel like it’s hard to get warm.”

Korra reached one hand out and plucked the cup from Asami, wrapping her whole hand around it for no more than a moment before steam was once again wafting off it. “Here you go.” She said simply- offering the tea back to her soulmate.

It took Asami a minute before she reclaimed her tea, staring intensely at Korra while taking a sip. Korra began to fidget under the dark haired girl’s stare and bit her lip. _Why are you staring at me like that? I just heated up your tea. Wait. Was that an innuendo? I have no idea what that could even mean and you were offering me the cup, so…_

“What’s it like to be a bender?” Asami finally voiced the question that was the cause for her stare. “I mean, I see you and Mako, Bolin, Tenzin, and even the airbender kids do it almost constantly. From boosting a jump, to playing pranks on each other- I even remember you entertaining Naga, by making rocks jump up at her, but doesn’t bending take energy and concentration? Like don’t you get tired or anything? Even you heating my tea just now- it didn’t even seem like you had to concentrate- it seems like all you did was think about it and it happened.”

“Well…” Korra had no idea what to say. “I’ve been able to bend, ever since I can remember. I guess, I might be a special case, being the Avatar, but most things don’t really require much effort.” She bent a small flame in her hand and held it well above the bed to make her point. “I can keep a fire like this going practically without thinking about it, heating your tea, or moving small stones are pretty much the same. It can be really tiring, when I’m sustaining large jets of fire, or moving large rocks or volumes of water or especially when I bend multiple elements without the Avatar state.”

She paused, how to explain what bending was like to a non-bender? Asami’s question made perfect sense- no matter how little effort it took on her part- she was still channeling her Chi to produce fire and there was always some physical effort required to bend the elements in general- particularly if she didn’t use the proper forms or footwork. “Maybe it’s like driving a car? I know I’m really bad at it, but I’ve seen you do it enough that I know you’re not really focused on the footwork involved with those three pedals, or the wheel or even the stick thing in the middle there. All of that is just second nature and lets you focus on guiding the car where you want it to go, but if you were to drive for a long time, you’d still get tired- from the concentration and maybe even the physical movements too.”

Korra paused again and thought about everything she said for a minute, shifting her gaze from the flame in her hand back to her soulmate’s eyes. Korra urged the flame to grow quite large in her hand, before letting it go out, only for her to immediately bring a small flame back to make it grow again, trying very hard to focus on what it felt like and explain how it felt. Asami saw Korra’s concentration and held off on responding- giving her the time to try and finish the answer to her question, opting to enjoy her hot tea and the warmth it lent her.

Korra struggled to come up with a reasonable comparison, that Asami would understand, and then it hit her. “When it comes to changing the intensity of bending an element- in terms of size, power, or continual force- it’s kind of like those big springs you have in your factories. You can start to compress or stretch them- and doing either only a little bit is easy, right? And even keeping it out of its natural size just a little bit is easy to maintain, but when you apply a lot of pressure or pull really hard it fights you- wanting to go in the opposite direction so that it goes back to its natural shape. Bending is kind of the same depending on the element- like earth doesn’t want to be forced to move, but fire can easily burn out of control if you aren’t careful. Water and air, aren’t going to suddenly push, whip, or freeze or anything- all the elements want to follow their natural course, like the spring wants to be in its natural shape. Does that all make sense? I’m not sure I did a very good job explaining it- even when I lost my connection to the other elements, I never really thought about what it was like- it was mostly weird being unable to feel them all around me.”

Asami was amazed and it showed on her face, “I think you did a good job explaining it. I don’t fully understand, and don’t think I really can without being a bender myself, but you’re really amazing. I always assumed that it took at least some noticeable effort or concentration for you specifically, since you can alternate between all the elements.” Asami finished her tea and set the cup on the nightstand. “No wonder you’re so confident about getting into fights- all of that power is just second nature to you.”

Korra burst out into hysterical laughter at that- she was strong and knew it, but she never thought she’d hear Asami sound so surprised about it. Indeed no one ever seemed to forget that she was the Avatar and more than capable of incredible feats. The very notion that Korra’s immense strength somehow went unnoticed despite everything they had been through, struck the Avatar as the funniest thing she heard in a long time.

Asami evidently felt compelled to defend her position as she scooted over to Korra’s side of the bed and snuggled under the covers so that she could stare her soulmate in the eye. “It’s not that funny, Korra.” Asami’s tone clearly indicated she wasn’t thrilled by her reaction and Korra immediately worked to stifle her laughter. _Asami, I’m not making fun of you, but you’ve seen me take on swarms of chi blockers, multiple mecha tanks, dozens of soldiers, dark spirits, and even break a blockade and you’re only just realizing this?_ “I kind of forget you’re the Avatar sometimes…” _but everything about my life is centered on the fact that I’m the Avatar…_ “Whenever I think about you- I’m thinking about my Korra, not the world’s Avatar. I’m thinking about my soulmate, my best friend who I share laughs and inside jokes with, the person who makes me happy and feel safe, the girl who kisses me so fiercely…”

Asami was gazing into Korra’s eyes, unmistakably trying to gauge her reaction and let one hand find its way to her cheek, rubbing the back of her knuckles against the soft skin. Korra was stunned- in a world where everyone tended to see her as the Avatar; it was apparently only her parents and Asami that saw her as Korra. Where her parents saw their daughter and someone to try and protect, Asami saw her as a partner and an equal- someone to build a relationship with and someone to go through life with, each supporting the other.

Korra loved being the Avatar- ever since she could remember it was the only thing she wanted to be. However, the one thing Korra did grow tired of was how essentially everyone only ever wanted use her. She was happy to help anyone who needed it, no matter how big or small the task- she was a servant of all people and if the cause was good, it was her duty to help and she enjoyed it. However, there always seemed to be more people interested in using her than needing her- Tarrlok and Unalaq were perhaps the worst offenders, but it was generally her experience that people only cared about what they could gain from the Avatar as opposed to what good she could do for the world and people- President Raiko came to mind as yet another good example, someone who cared less about her ability to help and cared more about how he could use her image to boost his poll numbers.

Despite this, Korra was grateful that she was able to find friends like Mako, Bolin, and Asami, who genuinely cared about her. However, her focus was on Asami at this particular moment, she was truly special. She continually supported and encouraged Korra in her role as the Avatar- everything she did to help Korra and the south during the mess Unalaq created were testament to that, but Asami just said that the most important thing was the fact that this Avatar was Korra. That it was the parts of her no one else got to see that Asami focused on the most. Korra was deeply touched- _she cares about me as a person and supports who I am as the Avatar…_ the somewhat simple revelation was enough to melt Korra’s heart. She needed someone to care about her in just that manner- accepting the Avatar while loving her, neither suffering as a result of the other. Once again, Asami was proving to be an amazing soulmate- being precisely what Korra wanted and needed from a romantic partner.

“Asami… I… you…” Korra was no longer laughing and she was struggling to find the words to express how she felt. She didn’t know how to explain everything she thought and felt, but she tried to convey everything to Asami the way they did when words failed. In a flash Korra grabbed Asami’s hand that was stroking her cheek and she rolled on top of her, pressing their hands toward the headboard and into the mattress. At once Korra pressed her lips to Asami’s own hungry with desire and Asami met her in kind. Korra’s hair fell around them forming an intimate shroud that seemed to shut out the rest of the world. As Asami moaned in delight, Korra remembered their earlier encounter when they were under similar circumstances and she shifted her attention to Asami’s neck, while her free hand pulled at the fur blankets separating them.

Upon hearing Asami question where her sudden expression of passion came from, Korra simply responded that she was happy they were soulmates and they should enjoy this time together. After Asami suggested that she get under the blankets, given how hard of a time she was having at pulling them down, Asami suddenly found the Avatar straddling her- having wasted no time in following such a proposition. As their lips crashed back together Korra found Asami at first nibbling her lips before pushing her tongue into her mouth. Though surprised by the new development, she didn’t pull away and soon their mouths were dancing in a new and euphoric way.

Given how amazing everything felt- Asami felt- Korra began rubbing her hands along her sides, caressing every curve as she searched for an entrance beneath her pajamas, suddenly desperate to feel her soulmate’s silky skin. Once her hands found their way inside, Korra felt Asami’s own hands slide up her back, under her own tank top. Korra relished the skin of Asami’s sides and toned stomach and was even enjoying the feeling of Asami’s hands on her bare back. As Korra began to slide her hands up Asami’s torso, she felt the hands on her lower back begin to skim around her sides toward the front. At once Korra pulled back and captured Asami’s hands in her own.

No one had ever touched her there and even if her abs weren’t a particularly intimate or private place, even the thought of someone else’s hands on her bare abs made her feel scared. It wasn’t anything Asami did and it had nothing to do with her feelings for her soulmate, Korra was unaccustomed to anyone having such access to her body and it made her very uncomfortable. More than that though, Korra realized just how intimate they were getting and was beginning to grasp just how strong her feelings were- they were entering dangerous territory.

“Did I do something wrong?” Asami was partially out of breath from the passion they had just been sharing, but she appeared worried as she looked up at the Avatar. Korra for her part looked almost terrified and as if she had been struck- maintaining an unnecessarily firm grip on Asami’s hands.

“…No- you’re fine. I’m just… tired.” Korra panted, failing to disguise the anxiety in her voice. She looked down, suddenly realizing that she was beginning to crush Asami’s hands as she felt a dull ache appear in her own. She released her grip suddenly and rolled off of and away from her soulmate, fully intent on pretending to go to bed to make her lie more believable. _I can’t do this- it’s too dangerous._

* * *

Asami was completely confused. She knew Korra was lying, but she couldn’t imagine why. Not only had Korra initiated their sudden physical entanglement, but she also had accompanied her actions by expressing her happiness with their relationship. Asami had been relishing Korra’s affection especially the way her rough and strong hands felt on her body and Korra had seemed to be enjoying herself until a moment ago, when she suddenly retreated. Asami stared at Korra’s back a moment longer, before imploring her to explain what was wrong.

When nothing but silence graced her ears, Asami reached out a hand intending to rub her soumate’s side soothingly and eventually coax her into talking. As Asami moved closer she brought her hand forward and her fingertips had barely touched Korra’s waist, when the strong girl _flinched_. Asami pulled her hand back and Korra curled deeper into herself.

“Do you not like being touched?” Asami asked, as confused as ever, since she had snuggled with Korra a number of times. “Korra? Please talk to me.” She tried again as the Avatar remained stubbornly mute.

As Asami reflected on it, she realized that she never actually had touched Korra in anything close to an intimate manner before, except for when she changed her clothes on Varrick’s ship and that was both accidental and while Korra was unconscious. Even a week ago during Harmonic Convergence, when she tried to hold Korra’s side in the healing pool, Korra removed her hand, opting to entwine their fingers instead. The more she thought about the more Asami decided she was right, they had their bodies pressed together on various occasions, but Asami’s hands had never explored Korra’s body- remaining on her back, neck, head, or arms.

“You know you can tell me when something bothers you. Or if something makes you uncomfortable. I’m not going to tease or judge you, Korra.” Asami wasn’t going to let this go; if they didn’t talk about Korra’s boundaries then they were going to continue to run into problems in the future. Korra groaned and turned her head to look over her shoulder at the dark haired girl. Upon seeing the resolve and determination on her face, Korra sighed and sat up, pressing her back against the headboard. Asami followed suit and waited for Korra to speak up.

Korra remained silent for many long moments, staring down into her lap. “It’s not you, it’s me. It’s just that- no one has ever… I’m not used to… If we… I – it makes me feel…” Korra let out a deep sigh. “I’ve never had anyone touch me,” she gestured over the whole of her front, “or even really look at me. And when you started to- I remembered that… it made me feel…” Korra trailed.

Realization dawned on Asami all at once. “Vulnerable.” She finished for her and Korra nodded. Asami thought back to one of the first times she saw Korra flustered- when she had tried on the new Fire Ferrets jersey. Asami didn’t understand Korra’s embarrassment, when she asked about how it felt around her bust, given that she stripped confidently down to her undershirt and usually wore clothes that showed off her body, but now it made sense. It wasn’t an issue of Korra’s confidence or body image; Korra’s insecurities began the moment that she was exposed- physically or mentally. Korra was comfortable stripping to her undershirt because even though it was tighter than her usual attire, it didn’t reveal anymore skin, but as soon as Asami brought up the topic of what lay _beneath_ she became a nervous wreck.

Asami wrapped her arms around Korra’s shoulders pulling her into a tight hug. “It’s okay to be scared or uncomfortable with new experiences, particularly when they are intimate in nature.” When she felt Korra wrap her arms around her to complete the hug, Asami shifted her hands to rub the Avatar’s back. “Just promise that you’ll tell me so we can talk about it. We’ll work through whatever we need to however you want.” Korra’s apology and promise to speak about her insecurities was enough for Asami. It had grown quite late and they agreed it was time for them to sleep. Finally lying down in bed, with the purpose of getting as much rest as they could, they lay facing each other, with Korra’s right hand holding Asami’s left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter and look forward to the official start of book 3 in the next one (and that this chapter being posted a day early is reassurance enough that more are coming). In case anyone is particularly concerned or bothered by it, I will simply say that Asami is wrong in her conclusion. I do attempt to allude to the real source of Korra’s reaction in both this and the next chapter, but rest assured that this will not be a particularly long lived issue (and if you spend a significant amount of time thinking about Korra’s character you will likely be able to figure it out for yourself). Finally, I thank you very much for reading and welcome any and all comments and constructive criticism.


	3. Chapter 40: Vines, Airbenders and Sweet-buns

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a friendly reminder to enjoy the highs book 3 has to offer while they last

As Korra landed in front of City Hall, glider staff in hand, she was immediately assaulted by questions from the press all designed to frame her as a horrible person. Did she regret how she resolved the Unalaq crisis? No, she prevented 10,000 years of darkness, why were people assuming that she handled it poorly? She also wasn’t forcing the integration of spirits- it wasn’t her fault that they liked living in the spirit wilds and she wasn’t responsible for the growth of the vines. Was this part of her New World Order? That was also absurd- she didn’t have a New World Order, she was just trying to keep the peace and maintain balance as the Avatar. As for removing the vines…

“Look! Harmonic Convergence was only a couple weeks ago. I just need a little more time to get everything back to normal. I’ve been trying everything I can think of to get rid of these vines, but-”

“The Avatar has put us all in a very difficult position, but my administration-” President Raiko was once again trying to lay the blame on her and Korra wasn’t going to have any of it. She was sick of being accused as the origin of the vines when she had nothing to do with them and with the fact that everyone seemed to hate her for it. She had already yelled at the press and now Raiko was about to be the next outlet for her anger.

“I’m sorry, did I put you in a difficult position by fighting the giant force of pure evil that was going to destroy the whole world?” Korra emphasized her words by marching right into Raiko’s face and grabbing his chin. It was at this point that Lin shut down the press conference and sent the reporters away. Her ability to order the President and the Avatar around when circumstances demanded it was always impressive. Korra gave Raiko one last glare before turning away and walking toward Asami, who was coming up the steps to her. Korra was at her wit’s end- even her most recent attempt to dispel the vines like she would a dark spirit failed and worse than failed it actually made the vine problem in that area of the city far worse. She had to evacuate an entire apartment building by herself and barely managed to avoid anyone getting injured.

Just seeing Asami again was enough to take some of the weight off her shoulders. In the two weeks that had passed since they returned to Republic City, Asami had made it a point to spend every possible moment she could with Korra. More than that though, Korra was grateful for all that Asami continued to do for her. It was the result of more than one late night “study session” that Korra had finally learned to identify the types of questions reporters asked that had no good answer, after she had stumbled into a tangle of problems trying to answer every question posed to her during the ever increasing press conferences she was attending. Korra also found that despite her soulmate being busy pushing Future Industries to the front of the market; she was becoming something of the Avatar’s personal chauffeur. On a number of occasions Asami had appeared to pick Korra up, just as she was finishing her latest attempt at removing the vines.

Even though it was technically easier to traverse the city by glider on account of the vines making certain roads impassable, Korra loved her rides with Asami. It was time that they had alone together and didn’t have to share. They would talk about anything and everything regarding how their day went and how they felt. Which is why, as Asami drove them toward the ferry for Air Temple Island, Korra began to vent her frustrations about the pressure she was under to remove the vines and her abysmal poll numbers- eight percent? Who were they asking?

As Korra settled into the ride, she leaned her head back, against the seat, eyes closed. Her left arm was stretched across the headrests so that her fingers could graze Asami’s right shoulder. Korra’s right arm rested along the side of the car, which had the top off and windows down, so that both girls could enjoy the warm air and clean breeze. That was one thing everyone in republic city seemed to overlook, the air had never smelled fresher or cleaner outside of Republic City Park and as far as Korra could tell it was only because of the vines.

“You can’t take those poll numbers to heart. People are just frustrated. And we’ll figure out a solution for the vines together.” Although she hadn’t come up with any useful ideas for removing them herself, Asami spoke confidently about the prospects for a solution. Korra had really run out of ideas though- the spiritbending technique was her best and last idea. Even still, Korra felt reassured knowing she had Asami’s support and if she truly did fail to remove the vines, knowing that her soulmate was already trying to redesign the infrastructure of Republic City to accommodate them meant that people’s lives could eventually go back to normal.

As she drove, Asami stretched her right arm over the gearshift and rested her knuckles against Korra’s thigh before slowly and gently gliding her hand up so that it could rest open palmed against the hard muscle. Korra stiffened only slightly at the contact before letting out a deep breath and relaxing a bit. They had talked more about Korra’s boundaries and how uncomfortable embracing intimacy made her, but Korra had insisted that they should try and work through them, saying that she wanted to be able to get past her insecurities at least with Asami. Korra recognized that her soulmate was continually concerned that she would begin moving too fast and cause her to retreat into her shell again. That fear was likely reinforced every time she began working at her boundaries. Even now, Asami’s hand rested on the top of Korra’s thigh, not even the inner portion and she wasn’t able to completely relax.

Korra for her part was frustrated, both because she hated how feeling vulnerable felt and because she wanted to move past those insecurities with Asami. Despite her soulmate’s continual reassure that she understood, Korra didn’t. _It’s just a simple touch. It’s Asami- your soulmate. You don’t need to have your guard or defenses up. Just because you’re with Asami doesn’t mean that…_ But no matter how many times she said it to herself and no matter how much she wanted to and no matter how easily she could picture it in her mind, as soon as the image became reality, she would start to panic. It didn’t make any sense to her. She could vent all of her feelings and frustrations to Asami being completely open, but the touch… it was just so unlike anything Korra had ever experienced- it made their connection too real- her feelings too real.

None of these revelations did anything to ease Korra’s mind, knowing that her issues went far deeper than simply being afraid of new physical intimacy. She couldn’t explain that to Asami, however, she wasn’t quite sure how to outline her deeper fears and it was far easier to believe and insist that she simply needed to adjust to new levels of intimacy and vulnerability. She sighed as they finally arrived on Air Temple Island and headed toward the dining room, at once both relieved that Asami’s hand was no longer pressed against her and longed for her to remain in physical contact. As uncomfortable as she felt with being physically intimate, Korra longed to move past her issues- it didn’t seem right to have issues about vulnerability with her soulmate.

* * *

Bumi’s claim that he was able to airbend, while amusing, was immediately dismissed by Asami as simply another one of his tall tales. While she recognized more than most people that there was always some grain of truth to them, this one was simply outlandish. As she enjoyed the meal with Korra by her side, she was content to sit back and laugh at Bolin’s description of Tenzin’s family and join in the laughter the three of them could share.

Mako and Bolin had moved back into Air Temple Island, since their apartment was taken over by vines, which as it turned out, is what prompted Bolin to ask about their living arrangements back in the South Pole, since the owner of the building was forced to return some of their rent. Despite no longer being under investigation by the police for some time now and despite the fact that she kept all of the staff on hire to maintain her estate, Asami had opted to stay on Air Temple Island as well in order to be closer to Korra. It was quickly agreed that if the Avatar suddenly changed residences, then too many questions would be asked about the nature of her relationship with Asami.

Although they opted to remain in separate rooms for a variety of reasons, not the least of which was an attempt to avoid having Jinora and Ikki spy on them, Asami still found herself in Korra’s bedroom late into the night as they talked and enjoyed spending some quiet time together. While Korra had opted to begin meditating with some frequency, in an effort to reestablish a connection to her past lives and hopefully discover a solution to the vines problem, Asami enjoyed the opportunity to tinker on her equalist glove, in an effort to improve its efficiency and effectiveness. Those moments were special in a different way than the rest of their time spent together, they were each absorbed in their own role, but enjoyed the comfort of the other’s presence so much that they remained together. No matter how she tried not to, Asami found herself casting glances at her soulmate, while she worked on her glove- growing quite fond of how peaceful and beautiful she looked while meditating. Her favorite moments by far were when she could simply cuddle with her soulmate. There was something about having her head pressed against Korra’s chest, listening to the soft and steady beat of her heart that automatically calmed her mind. Having Korra’s strong arms wrapped around her, gently rubbing her back made her feel safe and secure and _happy._ In those moments she could let herself believe that they could enjoy unending peaceful happiness.

As lunch wore on and Bumi’s instance that he could airbend only grew more heated, Meelo decided to take matters into his own hands, hurling a plate across the room, which Bumi trapped in a vortex of air, stunning everyone present into shocked silence. Bumi, having vindicated himself, made it a point to reiterate that he did indeed tell them all that what he said was true.

“Unbelievable. You’re actually an airbender.” Tenzin spoke, still incredulous of the reality before him. Bumi suddenly lost his focus, while shouting about how he had to tell his mother, and the plate fell from the vortex and shattered on the table in front of him.

“Do you think being in the spirit world during Harmonic Convergence could have given him bending?” Korra was surprisingly the first person to begin looking for a logical explanation to the seemingly impossible situation in front of her.

“Bumi can airbend now?” Mako asked as he suddenly walked in and all attention shifted to him.

“I’m afraid he’s not the only one,” Lin followed Mako into the dining room, with her usual tone that suggested boredom and disinterest, despite the shocking implication of her statement.

Korra’s theory about the cause of Bumi’s sudden airbending fell apart as Lin and Mako filled the rest of the group present in on the encounter Mako had with someone who started airbending before running off. Although some new theories were tossed around, everyone agreed that the most important thing for them to do was to hunt down this new airbender, before he hurt himself or someone else. As everyone got up from the table the spirit of competition arose from Bolin’s goading, consequently Mako reluctantly agreed to team up with Bolin, while Korra and Asami paired off to see who could locate the airbender first. Despite Bolin’s insistence that Tenzin and Lin should pair up as well, the look from his wife caused Tenzin to decline.

Korra was already overly excited before they even left the dining room, boasting about how she was sure they could win the friendly bet and how she was definitely going to rub it in the brothers’ faces. As Asami walked with Korra back toward her car to set out on the unexpected quest, Korra was working her way toward the passenger side, when Asami opted to toss the keys at her. Despite the surprise move and even though Asami was trying, just a little, to actually hit her soulmate with the keys, Korra’s agility and swift reaction time allowed her to deftly catch them, with a confused look on her face.

“You know I’m not very good at this.” Korra’s confused look never left her face as she glanced between the keys in her hand and her soulmate. Asami adored how cute Korra looked when she was confused and grinned wide as she flipped her hair over her shoulder.

“You’re the Avatar, master of all four elements. You should know how to drive. Besides it’s relaxing and I owe you a few lessons.” Despite Asami’s confidence behind the wheel and the Avatar’s fast learning, the following trip was nothing short of horrifying as Korra caused the car to lurch and jump almost uncontrollably. Asami lost track of the number of times she was forced to yell for Korra to hit the clutch or brake. She sighed internally knowing just how much damage Korra was doing to the vehicle and that she would have to do some work on it in the near future if Korra were to be driving with any regularity. The only saving grace was that Asami had planned on having Korra drive for only a short trip and as they pulled to another clumsy stop in front of a sweet shop, both girls let out a relieved sigh.

“Sorry! I know that was bad, but at least I didn’t hit anything this time,” Korra’s crooked smile was plastered on her nervous face and she scratched the back of her neck. It was such an iconic look for the young Avatar and Asami was swept up in it every time. Everything about that pose was perfect- the slight flex and stretch of her arms showed off the well-defined muscle, the smile itself revealed her white teeth, and joy and kindness practically radiated off her.

“You almost sound like Bolin,” Asami teased. “Besides it just takes some practice. You’ll get the hang of it in no time.” Asami took Korra’s hand as they entered the sweet shop that they stopped by all those months ago while fighting the equalist movement. Asami had remembered how much Korra loved the sugar-crusted buns and had wanted to go back sometime. She purchased a dozen of the sweets, fully planning on bringing some back for everyone on Air Temple Island, but as she watched her soulmate ferociously devouring one and knowing full well that she wouldn’t stop with just the one, Asami resigned herself to the reality that there likely wouldn’t be any left to share.

It was the little things like this that Asami found most endearing about Korra. Most people would be concerned with how they looked while eating, especially if they were getting sugar all over their mouth and clothes, but Korra was just happy to enjoy the treat, completely immersed in the moment. They both sat in the car enjoying their treats, Asami having returned to the drivers seat and starting on her first bun, as Korra munched happily on her third. Despite the stop by the sweet store, the question as to where they should begin looking for the missing airbender was still the focus of their outing.

As Korra finished eating the bun she had been working on and licked her fingers, she suggested that they look for places up high that wouldn’t have many people around- the perfect place for a scared airbender. Even though she was both serious and focused, Korra’s mouth was still coated in sugar and prevented Asami from taking her seriously.

As her soulmate giggled, Korra leaned towards her, pointing to her mouth, “The last time we were here, you helped me get some sugar off my face- maybe you could help me again?” Asami smiled and shook her head. Korra was terrible at flirting whenever she tried so hard, but that didn’t stop her soulmate from thinking it was incredibly cute. The look in her eyes said it all, but Asami hesitated- they were in public and they were trying to keep their soulmate status a relative secret. As Korra continued to lean towards her, Asami relented and gave Korra a sloppy kiss to get the worst of the sugar off of her mouth.

“We can’t have the Avatar fighting bad guys with sugar on her mouth- bad for your image.” Asami winked while she licked her lips, pulling away again. Even though they would have liked to, both girls recognized that this was not the place for them to begin giving into their desires and as the police scanner kicked on announcing that the airbender was at the top of Kyoshi Bridge, it proved not be the time either. Asami sped off to their destination, apparently Lin won the bet- she was the first to find the airbender.

The police had blocked off a considerable portion of the bridge and while they readily let the Avatar through and Tenzin who arrived on Oogi, Asami was forced to wait outside the police lines a considerable distance away. She watched Korra soar up the bridge and perch in the bracing just above the man. A few moments later she was sitting beside him and sharing- a sweet bun? _How did she even carry one up there?_ A long few minutes passed after that, whatever conversation they were having apparently light hearted as they both laughed more than once. Eventually Korra stood on the bridge and began waterbending, pulling huge volumes of water from below to form an elegant and gentle slide of ice that they could use to come down- amidst cheers from the crowd. Despite the gentle slope the slide offered, the man tumbled around and no doubt still suffered a hard landing, but Korra was the picture of elegance. Even from further back, Asami could see the easy way that she skated down the slide her body flowing as she adjusted ever so slightly to keep her balance. The wind from the descent tossed her wolftails about and her white teeth shone through the lopsided smile as she deftly jumped from the end to no doubt land effortlessly on the ground.

President Raiko was apparently displeased with the resolution of the situation however, as even from far away Asami heard him yell, “I order you to leave this city. You’ve caused nothing but trouble since you’ve arrived.” A tightness in her chest appeared the same moment a clear indication that his words stung the Avatar. _Where does he get off speaking to Korra like that?_

“I was already leaving!” Her soulmate’s angry voice and declaration did not come as a surprise, Korra would never let Raiko or anyone else for that matter see her upset. Where she could possibly be headed though was a mystery- their home was Republic City, or at least it had been and it seemed unlikely she’d want to return to the South Pole. But as Tenzin, Korra, and the new airbender approached Asami at the edge of the crowd it became clear as to why, “I can see my path now. There are new airbenders out there, and I’m gonna find them and rebuild the Air Nation.”

“Don’t think I’m not going with you.” Asami and Tenzin spoke in unison, sharing a laugh before agreeing to meet back on Air Temple Island. The young CEO tried catching Korra’s gaze, but she had already turned to continue speaking with Tenzin and Daw, the smile never leaving her face. Even if it was minor, Asami still felt the slight ache in her chest- Korra was more upset about leaving Republic City than she was letting on.

* * *

Korra was pacing in her room after dinner. Having been officially banished by President Raiko meant that she had until the end of the day tomorrow to leave Republic City until either Raiko lifted his banishment or some other elected president in the future overturned the ruling. As mad as she was over having been banished, she was still excited at having found a new and more important goal of restoring the Air Nation. However, she was still upset underneath everything else that she felt and it agitated her enough to pace in an attempt to dispel the pent up energy.

“Can we talk about what’s upsetting you?” Asami was already shutting the door behind her and making her way over to sit on her bed. “I’m pretty sure it’s something more than just President Raiko’s order.” Korra had hoped that the hurt she was feeling was minor enough and suppressed enough that Asami wouldn’t notice, but was evidently wrong. Either that or Asami simply knew her well enough to know that she was upset even without feeling it.

“I just don’t understand why everyone hates me.” Korra continued her pacing. Talking to Asami always helped her feel better about anything and everything that was on her mind. She was ever present and always had kind words of reassurance to provide whenever they were faced with trouble.

“Not everyone hates you, Korra. I know I certainly don’t.” Asami reached out and grabbed one of her hands to halt her pacing and force her to make eye contact. The bright green eyes and smiling face of her soulmate was more than enough to quiet some of the nagging thoughts in her head that caused her to question every decision she made. While absorbing all of the warmth and comfort that that look provided, Korra found herself sinking onto the bed to rest her head against Asami’s shoulder.

“I know I have your support, but there’s just so many people who are unhappy with how Harmonic Convergence was resolved.” Korra adjusted the hand Asami was holding so that their fingers were entwined. “I know that I saved the world and the fact that anyone is even around to complain should be a good thing, but…”

“But?”

“But I sacrificed so much to even do it. All of my past lives. All of the pain you and I had to go through. I almost died- twice! And all people care about is how some stupid vines inconvenience their lives! All I’ve ever wanted was to be the Avatar and I really wish people would see how hard I’m trying to keep balance in the world.” She let out a long and deep sigh. “Maybe I really am a bad Avatar, maybe if I was stronger, or had gotten in touch with my spiritual side sooner, or…”

“No,” Asami grabbed her shoulders and again forced her to make eye contact to see the sincerity in the green eyes gazing at her. “You’re amazing. I’ve told you before, you’re an amazing Avatar. _I_ know. I know just how hard you fought and how much you’re willing to give to keep balance in the world. All of our friends know too. Don’t let people who weren’t even there and didn’t help get to you.”

Everything Asami said made sense, but it didn’t do much to make her feel any better. If the Avatar is a servant of the people, then the people are ultimately the one’s she’s responsible to. If none of them approve, even if she did the right thing or tried her best doesn’t that still make her a failure? Besides the people were right to doubt her. She didn’t really feel like she made much of a difference combatting the equalist revolution, even if she did expose Amon. And for all that she saved the world from eternal darkness, she kind of was partially responsible for causing it, which made it much more akin to fixing a mistake than actually performing her Avatar duty.

Korra leaned forward to rest her chin on Asami’s shoulder while wrapping her in a hug. “Thank you for always being there for me. Maybe successfully restoring the Air Nation will be the positive change that the world needs.” She let the hands rubbing her back soothe away her worries and tried to push the clawing self-doubt from her mind. Even if she was unsure of herself, she still had the support of Team Avatar and Tenzin and his family. And Asami, was the anchoring rock that held her together, even when she doubted herself Asami was still there to believe in her. In fact, from the very moment that Asami entered her life, she was supportive and reassuring and constantly putting Korra before herself. How was it possible for her to be such an amazing soulmate?

“We spend so much time talking about me and everything going on in my life. What about you? How’s everything going with Future Industries? I want to hear all the details.” Korra spoke while pulling Asami down to lie on the bed on top of her, weaving her fingers through her soulmate’s silky dark locks.

“You want to hear me talk about contracts, blueprints and business projections?” Asami asked somewhat skeptical. For all that they talked about their respective days and Asami would talk about board meetings she attended or new designs she had in mind, they didn’t spend much time on any of the specifics.

“Yeah, I mean, I’d be lying if I said that I would understand everything. But it’s important to you and you’re important to me. I’d like to try and be as involved in your life as you are in mine.” Asami fixed her with a look that conveyed both how surprised and thrilled she was before lying her head on Korra’s chest and beginning to discuss at length everything related to her work and Future Industries. Korra did her best to listen and understand, even interrupting occasionally to ask for more clarification, but more than anything she simply enjoyed the proximity of her soulmate as she continued to play with her hair late into the evening.

“Would you stay here tonight?” Korra asked when Asami finally began to get up to return to her own room. She avoided the piercing green eyes that bore into her in the fading light. “You don’t have to- it’d only be if you want to.”

Korra barely registered the shifting weight in the bed before Asami’s lips were on hers. Korra sighed happily and melted into the soft lips that washed away that last vestiges of doubt and uncertainty that clung to the back of her mind. They had been busier since their return to Republic City, just as she had feared and this was the first real time that they had to actually make out. Their evenings hadn’t been this pleasant in a long time because Korra had needed to try desperately to connect to her past lives or otherwise brainstorm ideas to remove the vines and while Asami had been ever present during those times, passionate kisses would have impeded her ability to concentrate.

However, with her banishment there was no longer any need for her to try and remove the vines (and even if there was she was completely out of ideas), which also meant that there was no longer any need to restrain herself from enjoying the sultry woman on top of her. Korra opened her mouth to deepen the kiss, imploring her soulmate to begin exploring it with her tongue. Asami responded at once and their tongues danced in time with their lips. Korra ran her hands firmly down Asami’s back while she undid Korra’s wolftails to begin tangling her hands in the soft brown strands.

“I’ve missed this. You.” Korra spoke, partially out of breath when Asami pulled back for some much needed air. “But you didn’t answer my question.” Even in the dim light Korra saw a flirtatious smile break out on Asami’s face.

“Really? I thought I made it pretty obvious that I wanted to stay here with you.” She leaned back in to again capture the Avatar’s lips, massaging tongues and mouths long into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is one of the few chapters that I am not overly fond of. It’s one that I’ve written and re-written more times than I care to admit. Perhaps not the best thing to confess considering this is only the third chapter that you’ll be reading from me, but hopefully being self-aware of my flaws is reason enough for you to continue on reading subsequent chapters. So, why have I opted to post this particular chapter when I am not fully pleased with it? Put simply, the reason is because perfection is the enemy of done. If I were to continue to endlessly change and tweak this chapter, then I would never end up getting to all of the later ones (some of which I believe are very good or at least well written, in my own humble opinion). Hopefully my distaste is largely because of my tendency to be overly critical of myself, but even if that is not the case I hope that you can at least find some enjoyment from it and that you will continue to trust in my ability to do this continuation justice (as so many of you have suggested is the case). I do welcome any and all comments/ constructive criticism. Thank you for reading!


	4. Chapter 41: Love is in the air

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter is coming much earlier than would be expected given my proposed schedule and this is because I felt like I owed it to you all, given my personal feelings on the previous chapter (even though it seems to have been largely well received- that’s really because you all are awesome). Do consider this a rare exception to the rule because posting approximately weekly is still the plan, but I should still be able to post another by the end of the week. Anyways enjoy!

“Did someone order a fully-equipped Future Industries airship?” Asami smiled brightly as she walked down the ramp from the airship to join the rest of Team Avatar along with Tenzin and his family. Although it really wasn’t necessary, Asami had made it a point to requisition the latest model. It was the first one that Future Industries had completed and was supposed to be used as a way to impress investors, other business tycoons and to demonstrate the heights of engineering and innovation Future Industries and specifically Asami could offer. However, after Korra had decided to make being banned from Republic City into an opportunity to hunt down the new airbenders, Asami decided to pull out all the stops- even if she didn’t have to try and impress Korra, it still felt good to do so. “I figured if we’re going to Ba Sing Se to search for airbenders, we should do it in style.”

“It’s perfect! Thanks Asami!” Korra ran to meet her as she walked down the ramp and was rewarded for her efforts with Korra picking her up and spinning her around in a crushing hug. The smile on her face and evident joy was more than reward enough for Asami. She detailed the basics of everything the airship had to offer, from a fully stocked kitchen, state of the art infirmary, a “war room,” which was really just a large open space where they could all sit around a table filled with maps (this also doubled as one of two recreational areas, featuring couches and radio), and most importantly a large number of both official bedrooms and spare rooms that Asami had furnished to be passable for living quarters- anticipating the need to transport all of the airbenders that they managed to recruit. There was also ample space for both Naga and Oogi to come with them comfortably.

While everyone excitedly explored the airship, Asami breathed a sigh of relief. She had left Air Temple Island shortly before dawn (reluctantly having to leave the comforting arms of her soulmate) to personally oversee the final checks for the airship. She had been one of the main designers on the schematics, but she never had the opportunity to actually work on building it, so she wanted to be a part of it anyway she could. Overhearing that they had other towns to stop by before they reached Ba Sing Se on account of reports of airbenders, Asami opted to take the map to her pilot. Even though she was more than capable of flying the airship personally (and indeed she was a better pilot than the man she had with them), she opted to make sure a pilot was brought along that way she could actually spend time with everyone else, in particular Korra. As hopeful as her soulmate may have been over what the future had in store, it couldn’t begin to compare to how happy Asami was- even though they returned from the South Pole and technically had an Avatar mission to fulfill- there was no real threat opposing them and Asami was thrilled that they would be able to continue to enjoy life together.

As everyone finished exploring the airship and began to gather in the war room, Asami stole Korra away for a quick moment. “So, there is one thing I wanted to talk to you about,” she lead Korra to a section of the ship that was a bit further away from the rest of the bedrooms. “This is the captain’s room and I didn’t know if you’d want to stay here with me?” She was hesitant to even ask, since they hadn’t shared a bed since returning from the South Pole with the sole exception of the prior night, which had certainly been an impulsive decision on Korra’s part, but she hoped that in the relative privacy of the airship they would be able to, without worrying about any prying eyes and the public. The captain’s room was supposed to be Asami’s quarters and was simple, but gorgeous and by far the largest bedroom on the airship, indeed it was the only room that had an attached bathroom, a large bed, and given the space available, even had a small desk and bureau.

“Last night was really nice- let’s do it. But how about we go see about planning a route for those airbenders?” And Korra was already heading back to the war room. Asami shook her head and smiled, when her soulmate had her mind set on a goal, there was almost nothing that could distract her. Though being able to share a bed and have some time with Korra’s undivided attention was more than enough for Asami to look forward to. As it happened, most of the reports they received about new airbenders, while scattered across the Earth Kingdom, were still close enough together that they could stop by each one while making their way toward Ba Sing Se.

Their first stop brought them to a quaint farming village that was deeply honored to be receiving the Avatar and had prepared a feast in her honor. The feast, where they were finally introduced to the new airbender, suddenly became a heated argument and the man was steadfastly against embracing the idea of joining the New Air Nation, culminating in the lot of them being asked to leave the village entirely. Even though Asami, Bolin and Bumi all readily agreed that it might be more effective to be more aggressive in their approach, Tenzin insisted that despite the initial setback it was imperative that they didn’t coerce people into joining. The initial failure didn’t change the hopeful mood, however, and as they all retired to their rooms for the evening, Asami was thrilled to enjoy a short make out session and then falling asleep holding Korra’s hand.

The next day and the next stop didn’t fair much better, apparently the idea of covering your body in tattoos was unappealing. Although Asami suggested that perhaps people could be eased into Air Nation culture, Tenzin, Jinora and Korra in particular were insistent that people would be excited about what they had to offer. When landing in the next village the following day, Asami opted to stay behind. People were excited to see the Avatar and the only living master airbender, not her. Bolin was convinced that his soulmate would be one of the new airbenders that they met and Mako went along to keep his brother in check, but Asami suspected he was hoping to meet his soulmate as well.

However, Asami had work to do. Even if she was traversing the Earth Kingdom, she still planned on managing Future Industries’ affairs to the best of her ability. While everyone else went out for the day, she stayed behind, attending board meetings over radio, pooling over what charts and figures she had access to and doing her best to coordinate with her assistant so that any necessary paperwork could be flown out to whatever town she was likely to be in a couple days time. Future Industries was rising in value and demand even faster than it fell and Asami was continually pressed to keep the momentum going. Between the PR boost from the Nuktuk films and people’s adoration for her hand in helping the Avatar during Harmonic Convergence, she had innumerable orders to fill and dozens of partnerships to consider. It was more than a little unfair that people admired her for helping the Avatar, while at the same time disapproving of how her soulmate resolved the conflict (evidently Korra would receive all the blame, while her friends received all the credit). Regardless Asami still had a massive and rapidly growing corporation that she needed to dedicate as much time to as possible if she wanted to continue to be successful.

Once everyone returned, still without a new member, but no less hopeful, Asami would give the order to the pilot to set their course for the next town first thing in the morning. As they all retired to their rooms, Asami enjoyed another evening of kisses and caresses before falling happily asleep, this time in Korra’s warm embrace. And such became the routine. Day after day and town after town, Korra and the others would leave the airship to speak with the new airbender(s) and Asami would stay behind to manage her company as best she could from afar, each evening ending without new members, but with an ever increasing intensity to the alone time she shared with Korra.

Over a week into the mission, the two of them were all giggles as they made their way into the captain’s room- unable to keep their hands or lips off of each other. Asami smiled as she closed the door behind them, coming back to Korra and kissing her deeply. She loved how Korra’s strong arms gripped her waist and how her soft brown hair flowed through her fingers as she removed Korra’s wolftails. As they kissed their way further into the room Asami gently pushed her back to fall onto the bed. Despite Korra’s evident hesitation to dive too far into intimacy, she had an idea that might tempt Korra’s boundaries without making her uncomfortable. Asami planted one last kiss to her soulmate’s lips before slipping out of her grasp and walking over to the bureau.

She chanced a glance over her shoulder and was pleased to note that Korra looked as anxious as ever for her to return from storing her coat. She wasn’t going to stop there, however. Slowly walking back toward the bed, she opted to suddenly, but gracefully pull her shirt over her head shaking out her hair afterwards to keep it flowing and spilling over her shoulders. Some consideration about trying to dance and tease the event out longer had been made, but ultimately Asami had decided that a more direct and less flashy course of action would resonate better with her soulmate.

Korra was staring at her while biting her lip hard enough for Asami to feel it slightly in her own. Before leaving for their trip, Asami had opted to pack a select few special articles of clothing on the off chance that she worked up the courage for just this moment. There was a new line of women’s apparel that featured brassieres in various colors, much consideration was put into acquiring some in various shades or blue or turquoise- given Korra’s preference for such colors, but in the end Asami had opted to go with a dark red that was almost the same shade as her lipstick. Korra’s unwavering stare at- not her eyes- left no question that she was enjoying the view.

Even though she was blushing fiercely, Asami was more than a little pleased with her soulmate’s reaction and opted to avoid any teasing reminders about where her eyes were located. As she helped herself into Korra’s lap and began to run her fingers through her brown locks, she finally spoke up as Korra’s eyes remained locked on her chest, “I’m okay with this. If you want to…” _touch me._ She trailed, suddenly very self-conscious about finishing the sentence. Blue eyes suddenly snapped up to meet her own. Asami didn’t wait for a response, instead leaning down to capture her soulmate’s lips. Rough hands firmly began exploring the expanse of exposed skin they now had access to.

Asami had to stifle a moan as Korra shifted attention from her lips to her neck before beginning to trail kisses lower on her chest. She would definitely have to remember to congratulate herself on finding a magnificent way to develop her relationship with Korra because for all that Korra seemed to be enjoying herself, Asami was most certainly enjoying this far more. A knock on the door and Tenzin asking for them to join everyone else for “an important meeting” was more than enough to completely ruin in the moment. She scrambled to get her shirt on while Korra hesitantly opened the door.

Thoroughly embarrassed, Asami had to sit red faced in the war room, unable to think about anything other than the fact that Tenzin had interrupted them and likely almost walked in on her and the Avatar fooling around. Tenzin wanted to discuss at length how their mission was progressing as he and Korra were slowly losing hope that they would ever recruit new members.

“I really thought I had that last guy. Who doesn’t want a bison as their best friend?” Tenzin had been lamenting for some time on his confusion over the general lack of interest.

“Okay, we tried it your way, and people just don’t seem to be responding. It’s time for a little tough love.” What precisely Korra meant by that, Asami could only guess. She didn’t imagine that her soulmate would actually follow through on earlier suggestions to stuff people in potato sacks and carry them bodily aboard, the glint in her eye and the fist that punched into her open palm, implied otherwise.

Asami had been trying to get some important work done the next day, while everyone was out attempting to recruit members with Korra’s “tough love” approach. However, the ruckus that raged throughout the rest of ship became too much to ignore and Asami was forced to make what excuses she could to leave her radio conference with the board of directors. What she ultimately found was her soulmate in a rage- having been dragged back to the airship by the combined efforts of Mako and Bolin. Apparently her frustration at being unable to recruit new members and being met with a particularly apathetic and exasperating individual had pushed her over the edge. Not even Tenzin, Bumi or Jinora where able to get her to calm down and for her part, Asami understood. 

Everyone seemed to forget just how much pressure Korra was always under- she was tasked with restoring balance for the whole world. Not only were most people still unhappy with how Harmonic Convergence was resolved, culminating in her banishment from Republic City, but her new path of restoring the Air Nation, was quickly becoming a failure. Asami was also learning the deeper workings of Korra’s emotions and hidden inner thoughts. She was presently throwing a fit of rage because anger and aggression were effectively displays of strength to mask the doubt and fear of failure underneath and Korra wasn’t willing let anyone see weakness in the Avatar, well anyone other than Asami. Even though she hadn’t initially noticed the ache in her chest, given how slight it was (as well as how distracted by work she had been), there was no doubt that underneath all of the rage, Korra was despondent. The reason for the ache being so dull was likely because Korra suppressed her feelings on a very deep level and likely didn’t even know she was doing it sometimes.

As she continued to yell and complain, Asami simply walked up to her soulmate, despite the flailing arms Korra waved about in anger. She didn’t say a word opting to wrap her in a tender hug that promptly stopped both the flailing arms and the angry rant. Just before she pulled away, the dull ache in her heart grew noticeably and Korra brought her shining blue eyes up to look at her- _only_ her. Korra hesitated briefly before she began to once again express her feelings about her failures, though this time she was much more downcast, the doubt just barely entering her voice.

Asami pressed her lips against Korra’s to stop her once again. She wasn’t going to let her soulmate lose faith in herself. She felt the tension leave the Avatar’s shoulders as their lips wrapped around each other and after a moment the ache began to abate. “We’ve only just started this journey. We will find new airbenders who are excited to join. Maybe we just need a new strategy.” And as she flipped her hair and saw the smile on her soulmate’s face return as wide as ever, she knew that the Avatar had responded to her comforting touch and was back to her calm and adorable self.

Bumi spoke up, “That’s it! I haven’t been moved by a display like that in ages- we should work on getting people excited to join the New Air Nation, with a little razzle dazzle.” He smirked slyly and gave a wink to the two girls who suddenly pulled away from each other. Their faces turned a bright shade of red as they were still surrounded by their companions and realized that they had indeed drawn the attention of everyone present. Even though it really shouldn’t have been a particularly shocking display of affection, given that everyone was well aware of their relationship, and since Korra had made it a point to kiss Asami during the “announcement,” it still seemed like there would be an adjustment period for it to truly be normalized.

“Yeah, razzle dazzle. We could put on some sort of airbending street performance.” Bolin was clearly going back to his roots, teaching Pabu circus tricks was his original idea for making money and it seemed like he was ready to apply the same principle here- hopefully to greater effect.

“I was going to say we could promise everyone a better chance at finding their soulmate, but that’s even better.” Bumi shrugged, simply happy that his idea had been well received.

“It sounds ridiculous, but it might work.” Korra voiced her skepticism, which Mako clearly shared, likely remembering how well Bolin’s ideas usually worked out.

Tenzin sighed, “I’m willing to try anything at this point.”

With just the type of enthusiasm Bolin loved to hear, they began planning an overly complex and highly acrobatic show. It was decided early on that the main focus should be on Korra and Tenzin. The only living airbending master and the present incarnation of the Avatar were certain to draw the largest crowd and both were more than capable of impressing with their airbending skills. Tenzin was to demonstrate some of the more complex, though still flashy applications of airbending, while Korra was to perform the most physically impressive and exhausting aspects that the form offered. Jinora was to show off the depths of flying on a glider and Bumi would demonstrate how even the basics could be exciting and rewarding. The logic being that any new airbender would be encouraged to join based on the implied ease of advancement and the desire to imitate Tenzin and Korra someday.

Several days later, when they made stop in the next town, that had reported airbenders being present, it was time to put all of the hard work and planning into action- hopefully ending with some new members joining the Air Nation. Asami was used to being amazed by the bending abilities of her friends- Bolin and Mako had always impressed during their time as pro-benders and Korra was impressive on so many occasions. She never really had the opportunity to see either Tenzin or Jinora bend to any great extent and was surprised by how Jinora seemed to have mastered the art almost to the degree her father had. They had successfully drawn a large crowd to watch the performance and the cheers, and general clamor suggested that the crowd loved every minute of the show. Asami caught Korra making eye contact with her on more than one occasion as she improvised the routine so that she could show off for her girlfriend- they were officially girlfriends now- and how amazing was that? Even if “girlfriend” didn’t sound as romantic as “soulmate” sometimes could, some “soulmates” hadn’t even met, but being “girlfriends” meant that they actually had feelings for each other and wanted to be together. 

As the performance came to a close and the crowd dispersed, only one young boy came running up, claiming that he was an airbender and an orphan. Just as they were boarding the airship with their first recruit, the “bandits” that turned out to be law enforcement arrived and after being handily beaten by Korra, who didn’t so much as break a sweat, there came the debate as to what should be done with the boy. While good arguments were made in favor of both welcoming the boy and sending him away with the authorities- Asami was partial to the former. While certainly a little troubled, she thought all he really needed was a good influence- he acted how she imagined Mako or Bolin could have been if they hadn’t found probending. Any potential moral debate was abruptly put to bed however, as Mako accidentally twisted his arm a little harder causing Jinora to cry out.

As everyone’s attention was drawn to her, she turned into a bright shade of crimson. Looking from Jinora and back to Kai a couple of times, Asami couldn’t help, but feel happy for the young girl. Jinora spent practically all of her free time reading romance novels and dreaming of her soulmate and they had apparently stumbled upon him. Asami was a touch jealous too because of how lucky Jinora was to find her soulmate at such a young age.

“Well, that settles it. He’s coming with us.” Asami opted to make the decision for the whole group. Tenzin almost looked furious as he spluttered and cast about trying to come to terms with the fact that his little girl was now going to be with her soulmate. Mako still scowled, clearly not trusting Kai, probably expecting him to run away despite finding his soulmate, while Bolin all but squealed in delight. Korra’s mouth hung open and she looked between the two, still very confused, prompting Asami to take her hand and pull her toward the airship. “Yes, they’re soulmates. Come along now.”

Once they were airborne and officially en route to Ba Sing Se, all of the focus shifted to the newest member aboard. Jinora insisted on performing various “tests” to make certain that Kai really was her soulmate and while everyone argued against doing so- given that she was the one who felt his pain initially, no one could successfully stop either of them from pinching, prodding or otherwise striking themselves to see the other’s reaction. Despite some misgivings about having their wallets stolen, Bolin continued to refer to Kai as “little bro” and Bumi seemed to be enjoying the free spirited kid. Mako refused to ease up and continued to eye the poor kid warily. Tenzin was beside himself, and although Korra and Asami did their best to try and assure him that this new discovery was not the end of the world, they couldn’t shake his belief that it was the start of it. When Tenzin finally managed to find the strength to stand and announced that it was time he gave everyone a lesson about soulmates and responsibility, Asami found herself getting dragged away by Korra toward their bedroom.

* * *

Korra was on top of Asami as they enjoyed another night of heated affection. As their tongues danced and Korra’s hands pulled at Asami’s shirt, she decided that she was going to follow through on her plan no matter what. Tonight was the perfect opportunity- they finally recruited a new member into the New Air Nation, which was sure to keep everyone else on the airship occupied. Bolin and Bumi had taken a genuine liking to Kai and wanted to get to know him. Mako distrusted him and refused to let the young boy out of his sight for fear he might steal something or run off. Jinora was overwhelmed with suddenly finding her soulmate and Tenzin was too concerned over the implications that entailed to focus on anything else. All of which effectively guaranteed that the Avatar and her soulmate would not be interrupted, like they occasionally had been on previous days.

In truth, Korra had been planning this moment for the past several days and had been doing her best to suppress the anticipation and anxiety that came along with it. Asami broke their kiss, while partially sitting up, allowing Korra to pull her red undershirt over her head. As she fell back into the mattress, Korra smirked as she cast aside the garment in her hands. The sight she looked down on always took her breath away. Asami’s cream colored skin, smooth and soft, contrasted with the silky black hair that spilled around her shoulders and framed her face, while she bit her lip in anticipation. As they always were in recent days, Korra’s eyes were drawn to the swell of her soulmate’s breast, covered by some fancy piece of cloth Korra could never remember the name of. It was at this moment that Korra would usually dive back into Asami and begin ravishing her neck and lips, while letting her hands explore her body.

Tonight, was going to be different and Korra hesitated for only the briefest moment before forcing herself to charge ahead, as was her nature. She sat up a little straighter as she straddled Asami and quickly brought her hands to the opposite sides of her waist and grabbed the hem of her tight blue tank top. Closing her eyes, she yanked her arms up over her head taking her shirt with them. Although, Asami continued to suggest that they slowly ease Korra into becoming more comfortable with feeling vulnerable in days past, she was sick of it. Patience was never her strongest trait and she knew how much she enjoyed having access to Asami’s body- it didn’t seem right for it to be so one sided. More than that, Korra wanted this- wanted this so badly and wanted to move past whatever insecurities she had, so that their relationship could grow and deepen.

This was the first time that Asami or indeed anyone had ever seen the Avatar in such a state of undress or exposure. Having planned on finally taking her shirt off for her soulmate, Korra had prepared by opting to wear a chest wrap that only covered her breasts, foregoing the inclusion of her usual blue skintight undershirt. Despite being sufficient coverage and support, the chest wraps Korra had still left most of her upper body exposed, starting just underneath and ending just before the top of her bust, leaving neither size nor shape to the imagination.

After opening her eyes and seeing the look on her soulmate’s face, Korra had wanted to say something witty, flirty or suggestive, but couldn’t think of anything over the thundering in her chest. She did her best to push the rising anxiety out of her head and carelessly dropped her shirt over the side of the bed. Some part of her regretted choosing to leave her wolftails in, although it was intentional so that she was forced to let Asami gaze upon her body, she did in part wish that her hair had been down to provide some coverage for her upper chest.

Having taken the proverbial plunge and with no way to go back, Korra pressed on with her aggressive plan. _Stop panicking. This is happening. I REALLY want this to happen._ As she leaned down to resume making out, Korra grabbed Asami’s hands and placed them on her abs, holding them beneath her own for a moment. Despite tensing like she was anticipating weathering a forceful blow, Korra choked down her rising unease and pressed her lips against Asami’s.

She tried to focus on the feeling of warm lips pressed against hers and how good it felt to rub her own hands along Asami’s body, but her breath caught in her throat more than once and her whole body went rigid whenever she thought about Asami’s hands resting on her exposed stomach. _Breathe, just breathe Korra. You’re with Asami- nothing is going to happen. What am I even afraid of?_ Her mind flashed back to her training: _“The Thought Chakra is located at the crown of the head. It deals with pure cosmic energy and is blocked by earthly attachment.”_ She tried to force the nagging voice out of her head, lov- caring about Asami and wanting to be with her was a good thing and with everything she did and sacrificed for the world she desperately wanted to have just one small something she could cherish.

It wasn't long before Asami pulled her hands away from her hard abs. “Asami,” Korra broke their kiss and spoke in a strained voice that betrayed her nerves, “Don’t stop. I want you to touch me.” When Asami didn’t move and began to voice her suggestion that they should slowly work their way into things, Korra opted to double down on pushing her boundaries, she was this far already and might as well keep going and she _really_ did want this to happen. As she moved to sit back up, she pulled Asami up with her, by supporting her back, once they were both upright, Korra deftly picked up her soulmate and set her on top as she lay down on her back.

Korra took a deep breath and steeled herself for whatever came next. She looked up into Asami’s green eyes, with a determined look that left no question she was serious. “Touch. Me.” She punctuated each word by placing one of Asami’s hands on her abs and the other on her chest, just above the wrap. Asami lacked the abdominal strength to lean over and kiss Korra while keeping both hands on her, so she removed one hand and used it for support while her other began its exploration of Korra’s form. Korra let her one hand tangle itself in Asami’s hair and her other roamed the smooth skin of her back.

Despite her continued persistence and no matter how much she wanted to enjoy this moment with Asami, Korra’s heart continued to hammer in her chest and she continued to be stiff throughout her body. _I struggled so long to master my spiritual connection. I can’t go back to being helpless- I have to be the Avatar._ As Korra lost focus on their kiss and consequently stopped moving her mouth, Asami opted to shift her lips from Korra’s own and instead began to kiss the Avatar’s neck.

Korra barely registered that Asami began sucking her neck, instead consumed with the fear that she was ruining everything because of how badly she wanted to enjoy her soulmate. _I need to let the cosmic energy of the universe flow and wash away everything else. How else could I have stopped Unavaatu? I can’t afford to not be in control- even if Asami is my soulmate, even if… even if I… wait- Katara told me our spirits are linked! The ancient Spirit of Souls linked our souls- Asami and I aren’t tethered to the earth- our connection transcends that! My feelings for her aren’t an earthly attachment…_

The realization was like flipping a switch- Korra could be vulnerable and open and love exactly one person without sacrificing who she was- she could love Asami. At once Korra relaxed under her soulmate and she suddenly realized just how good everything Asami was doing felt- from the lips on her neck to the hand rubbing her firm torso. Korra grinned as she let a moan escape her lips- she really had been freaking out over nothing.

Asami pulled back ever so slightly and Korra reached down with one hand to apply a firm grip on her backside causing her to yelp in surprise. Korra pulled her back in, a wide grin on her face as she breathed a single word seductively into her ear- “more.”

* * *

Once they were on their bed Asami wasted no time in shoving her tongue as far as it would go into Korra’s mouth causing her to groan in delight. For all that Korra seemed to enjoy being in control of the pacing of their intimate interactions, Asami did recently notice that she responded most strongly whenever she was somewhat aggressive. She had expected tonight to go much the same as their previous ones and had been completely surprised when Korra had suddenly pulled off her shirt. Having never actually seen her soulmate in any significant level of undress, she enjoyed both the view and the intimacy that came with the gesture- knowing Korra’s discomfort with such things.

Asami had stared up at her surprised, but also entranced. Knowing that Korra was incredibly fit and seeing the indication of that through her usual attire was one thing, but to see her firsthand and up close was something else entirely. Each muscle was hard and clearly defined, pulsing and flexing with each nervous breath she took. Her toned chest rose into supple mounds that were contained by a meager cloth; her narrow waist slowly flared out to her strong hips. Korra’s dark skin contrasted with the pale blue chest wrapping and although she hadn’t meant to, Asami had found herself staring greedily at the vision before her.

When her hands came into contact with Korra’s abs she marveled at how soft her skin actually was. Korra’s hands were rough and calloused from all of her physical training, her lips had a tendency to chap, and with how many wounds she suffered from her training Asami had assumed that Korra’s skin was likely to be rough elsewhere- as even her arms while not rough were certainly tough. However, even though Korra’s rippling abs were impossibly hard, the skin covering them was smooth, silky and unbelievably soft. Asami relished every moment of contact, completely enthralled by how incredible it felt to be running her hands over every mound and crevice of Korra’s toned stomach. Before very long though Asami pulled her hands away from Korra’s hard abs for even though she savored the feeling of hard muscle under unexpectedly silky skin, it was abundantly clear her soulmate was very uncomfortable even though she was the one who initiated it.

Korra ignored her concerns and after reversing their positions, Asami found herself again drawn into the alluring feel of the Avatar’s body beneath her fingers. Despite her words and actions that indicated otherwise, Asami was well aware that her soulmate was not truly comfortable with how things were progressing as she was kissing clumsily and without her usual skill. As Korra lost focus on their kiss entirely and consequently stopped moving her lips, Asami was forced to make the choice between trying to continue this somewhat awkward session and insisting that they stop altogether. Recognizing how much Korra clearly wanted this to work, Asami opted to shift her lips from Korra’s own and instead began to kiss the Avatar’s neck in the way she knew she herself enjoyed.

No matter how she tried, Asami wasn’t able to provide enough pleasure for Korra to relax under her wandering touch or seductive lips. Then it happened. Asami had been sucking Korra’s neck because it was something that the CEO enjoyed herself and thought that Korra may find it pleasurable as well. She was about to give up and suggest that they call it a night as her soulmate was clearly not enjoying it, until very suddenly she was. She couldn’t begin to even guess at what caused the change in Korra, but one moment she felt almost like she was violating her to the next being unable to satiate her soulmate’s lust. As she pulled back ever so slightly to try and look Korra in the eye and ask about the sudden change in mood, she felt Korra grab her rear before enthusiastically asking for them to continue.

It wasn’t unusual for Korra to be passionate or assertive when they found themselves in similar circumstances, their time during Harmonic Convergence and more recently while on the airship were evidence to the contrary. Korra, was usually the giver of pleasure, however, knowing just how and what to do to make Asami gasp and moan in delight and it often made Asami chuckle to herself when she thought back to how they acted around their first kiss. Korra had been so clumsy and awkward at first, but proved to be a fast learner, until now she was an expert at everything they did.

What was unusual about this night was that Korra was seemingly desperate to be the receiver of pleasure. Asami had done her best to delight the Avatar with every caress, kiss and nibble, but found that no matter how much she gave Korra wanted more. They devolved into something of a wrestling match, with Korra pulling Asami to her lips or pushing her towards her neck, all the while practically begging for Asami to touch her firm abs or exposed sides or anywhere that wasn’t covered in cloth- apparently relishing the feel of the skin to skin contact.

It was a couple of hours since she and Korra had retired to their cabin for the evening and Asami was exhausted as she lay on her back in bed. She was at a complete loss for words- this night had surprised her for so many reasons. Not only had Korra taken the step to take her top off, but had somehow also resolved all of her insecurities about vulnerability very suddenly. The subsequent passion that they shared revealed a completely new and wildly unexpected side to the Avatar that equally shocked and thrilled Asami. Now here she was hours later, completely exhausted and out of breath, while the Avatar was lying on her side, head propped on one hand, _still_ staring hungrily at her. “This was nice,” Korra spoke trailing her free hand down to hold Asami’s own. She couldn’t help but to chuckle, subtlety was not one of Korra’s many strengths.

“I’m glad you enjoyed yourself,” She teased. “Honestly though, I’m glad you were able to work through everything and that you ended up liking… everything.” Asami focused her eyes on a smiling Korra, whose neck was covered in love bites. She knew it would be a fight in the morning when she insisted on covering those up with some makeup. Korra hated makeup on her and made it very clear that while it did indeed look good on Asami, it was not going to be something she would wear herself. Regardless of how Korra felt about it, there was no way she was going to let her parade around those ever darkening love bites, even if they weren’t really in public. Asami was not going to be able to survive the embarrassment she’d feel having all of Team Avatar and Tenzin and his family and her pilot and now Kai, know about how physical their relationship became. Worse would be all of the looks, quips, and insinuations that more happened than actually did.

Korra still had a smug smile plastered on her face as she leaned forward to whisper into Asami’s ear, “Who knew that my getting banned from Republic City would be the best thing that could happen to us?” _I’ve created a monster. An adorable, insatiable, lustful monster. I can’t believe she’s really not tired yet._

“I’m happy too, but also really tired. How about we get some rest and we can continue this again tomorrow?” Asami almost regretted the suggestion as Korra’s face lit up like she was already getting ready for it. Korra had apparently planned on surprising her in everyway possible tonight, because after agreeing with an all too happy crooked grin, she used some fancy airbending to cover themselves with the blanket, before rolling and curling back into Asami. The hand that Korra had been holding was pulled around the Avatar so that Asami suddenly became the big spoon, her hand resting on well-toned abs. _I have no idea what caused your sudden change of heart, but I’m glad you’re happy. I love you, Korra._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I do want to emphasize that this chapter is being posted at an accelerated rate as an apology/ thank you to all of you (that said it was not rushed by any means). In case anyone is wondering- I didn’t just randomly make up the whole “ancient Spirit of Souls,” this exact phrase actually pops up in chapter 15 and is presumably the explanation and origin for all soulmate links. Also, if it wasn’t perfectly clear, this chapter composes a few weeks worth of time, rather than the few days that the show seems to imply. I had put some consideration into drawing this one chapter out into several, but without much actually happening outside of failing to recruit airbenders, I opted to largely skip over it (because how repetitive would it have been otherwise?). While I’m sure we all would have liked to see some more fluff, rest assured that there will be plenty to be had in the future that I believe is better than anything I could have created under this particular setting. I thank you for reading and hope you enjoyed and as always welcome any comments/ constructive criticism!


	5. Chapter 42: Ba Sing Se

“Are you sure we shouldn’t have brought more people to collect the tax money?” Asami asked while beginning the take off procedures. She was at the helm of the airship and Korra noticed that she seemed to be adjusting dials, levers, and buttons with more confidence and speed than the pilot that had been flying them everywhere did. _She must be an expert airship pilot too. Mopeds, cars, planes, airships- it’s a wonder she can’t get the hang of riding Naga._

“There are royal guards waiting at the vault. I doubt anything will happen. I think Her Majesty just likes ordering me around.” Korra spoke while reaching over the chair to massage Asami’s shoulders, “Besides, we make a great team, I’m sure there’s nothing we can’t handle.”

As the airship rose into the sky in order to take them to the nearby village where the tax money was held. Korra felt her soulmate relax further into the pilot’s chair, groaning happily as she continued with the massage. When nearing Ba Sing Se, everyone had gathered on the bridge of the airship to marvel, and Korra had enjoyed seeing the aerial view as she stood at the railing her arms wrapped around Asami’s waist and her lips pressed to her ear, whispering about everything she hoped to see with her. They had arrived in Ba Sing Se early in the day and had been escorted to a lavish apartment near the palace, as a sign of respect for the Avatar. Korra didn’t particularly care about the gesture- she wasn’t one to focus on material possessions and as their guide listed off rule after rule that she and everyone else were expected to follow she found herself growing irritated. She barely paid attention to anything that the man said. She was going to show the Earth Queen the respect her position deserved, but she didn’t have the patience or care to remember dozens and probably hundreds of rules just to humor the queen.

She was dragged off immediately to see the queen, while everyone else made themselves at home in the apartment. The queen ended up proving herself to be a horrible person- rude, entitled, and cruel to those around her. Korra was certain that despite whatever trouble bandits may be causing it was likely the result of her overly harsh rule and the whole purpose of sending the Avatar as security for a tax shipment was really just the queen enjoying her power trip, but none of that made it any less annoying.

Even though Korra was certain that they would be able to retrieve the tax money without any additional assistance, there wasn’t anyone to ask at the moment. Tenzin was trying to console a distraught Jinora, while Mako and Bolin went searching for her missing soulmate. Kai was proving to be a handful and his disappearance had the unfortunate consequence of making Jinora believe she was to blame. The part that puzzled Korra the most though was why he didn’t return after feeling the pain he was putting Jinora through- she always felt terrible hurting Asami.

That was the worst part about being soulmates. The closer they became and the stronger her feelings for Asami the more she hated the idea of getting injured… again. She could manage her own pain, between being a healer and having grown accustomed to it over the years, physical pain typically was very manageable. But to see the hurt and concern and _fear_ in Asami’s eyes whenever she did get hurt twisted her insides. It made her sick, knowing how much it bothered Asami and the real worst part was that there was almost nothing she could do about it.

If they really did get attacked by bandits, it would be easy enough to fight more defensively, focus on blocking and dodging to avoid injury so that way Asami wouldn’t have to suffer too. That was barely a solution though. It would be foolish to think that all of her future adversaries would be as simple as bandits, it was likely only a matter of time before another dictator like Unalaq or revolutionary like Amon rose up with dozens or hundreds of followers and against those odds it would be impossible to not get hurt. Getting hurt meant not only hurting Asami, but also making her worry and anxious over Korra’s wellbeing. Fixating on that eventuality made her want to scream and break things- why did her life practically force her to hurt someone she cared so much about?

Trying to push the dark thoughts out of her head Korra asked, “Do you think you can teach me to fly the airship?” She watched Asami adjust the controls before taking her hands off of them entirely- apparently the airship would be holding course on its own for now. Asami swiveled the chair and fixed her with one eyebrow raised, trying to figure out if she was serious. After a short moment, seeing the Avatar’s eager face, Asami burst out laughing.

“I’m sorry, I know you’re serious,” she spoke through laughs, “but Korra, you can’t even drive a car…” Seeing the water tribe girl’s face go from surprised to insulted, she added on, “… well. You can’t drive well, but you’re getting better. How about we work up to flying the airship, accidentally crashing one is a lot worse than hitting a light post.”

Korra was more than a little insulted. She was great at flying; of course she was usually only flying herself on a glider, but still. And her driving wasn’t that bad, it wasn’t very good yet, but she had only driven like twice and it wasn’t anything at all like riding a polar bear dog. She sighed and supposed Asami had a point, maybe it would be best if they started off slow, and crashing an airship was very bad.

“Well, if you won’t teach me to fly it, how about you tell me about the it? When did you even have time to design this thing?” Korra rested one hand on an armrest, leaning heavily on the chair, while watching her engineer’s eyes light up. Korra knew how much Asami loved building and designing all of her machines and while almost everything she said went over her head, she still appreciated how much it meant for Asami to be able to talk about it.

As Asami explained how she would stay up late, or wake up early in order to pour over the designs and schematics that her other engineers worked up or occasionally write up entire plans from scratch, how she kept a notepad and pen in one of her coat pockets to make notes, check formulas or sketch some “crude” designs. Korra was once again forced to marvel at the many talents of her soulmate. Asami was apparently incredibly smart- a genius even, touching on the basics of physics, aerodynamics, wind resistance, propulsion, stabilization and so many other things that Korra had no knowledge of. For her part, Korra came from a much more traditional and spiritual realm of knowledge- flying was done with a glider or on a bison, whatever formulas “physics” involved didn’t seem to affect how she would move or throw stones or shoot fire and memorizing forms and movements for bending seemed far more practical than schematics and units.

As they arrived at their destination, and headed toward the royal guards, Korra was forced to wonder if perhaps, Amon and Unalaq had a point. There was just so much world that Korra knew nothing about. Maybe it was because she was confined to the White Lotus compound, but it seemed strange that the Avatar was accountable to maintain balance for the whole world, when apparently there was so much about it she didn’t understand.

“Go ahead and load the gold onto the airship.” Korra instructed when challenged by the royal guards, who complied at once. They began wheeling a cart containing several sacks of gold toward the airship. It was a moment later when an explosion rang out, followed by a flare shooting through the air. As the sound of engines revving filled the square, the royal guards abandoned the gold and ran for cover back inside the building.

“So much for our escorts,” Asami spoke while pulling on her equalist glove, which she retrieved from her coat pocket.

As the bandits circled around them demanding that they give up the gold, Korra shared a look with her soulmate, who nodded. “Sorry to disappoint you, but we’re taking this gold back to Ba Sing Se.” The bandits laughed and taunted them and Korra sprang into action. She deftly dodged what attacks were launched at her before launching into a series of earthbending moves- she raised pillars from the ground, sent trails of cracking earth and even threw a blast of air to cover Asami’s back. All of her attacks landed with devastating affect, motorbikes were shattered and the bandits sent flying.

Asami for her part was equally impressive, skillfully jumping over a spear thrust before electrocuting the man wielding it. As she landed she caught the spear in midair and hurled it into the wheel of another motorbike, though the bandits landed on their feet after the crash, Asami’s hand-to-hand skills quickly finished them off. In no time at all, both girls stood surrounded by incapacitated bandits and the ones who were left, were quickly fleeing, and declaring that the Avatar was doing wrong by helping the queen.

“Why do people always think they can fight me?” Korra yelled annoyed by the whole encounter. “And why do I get the feeling that they’re right?” If nothing else, Korra was pleased that neither she nor Asami suffered so much as a scratch during the short confrontation and having secured the gold, would give them access to the new airbenders. It was frustrating though. The Earth Queen was a terrible person and it seemed likely that the bandits were right- the gold would do more good going to the people than to another topiary for Her Majesty. Didn’t she have a duty to the people too? Where was the balance between the well being of the people and stability for the nation?

“Everyone wants to fight you for the bragging rights that come along with saying they bested the Avatar.” Asami placed her hand on Korra’s shoulder. “Besides, even if the Earth Queen is a bad person, she isn’t starting wars or trying to usher in an age of darkness. Unless she’s actually doing something to disrupt the balance of the world, your hands are tied. Focus on the big picture, bringing the queen this tax money will help us recruit airbenders and restore a nation.”

Asami’s logic was infallible and looking into her dazzling eyes and smiling face, Korra felt reassured that what she was doing was right- restoring the Air Nation was the most important thing for her to be doing presently and the Avatar’s duty was to maintain the world’s balance- she couldn’t put too much emphasis on internal Earth Kingdom matters. The two girls loaded the gold onto the airship and took off back to the palace, where Korra would go to meet with the queen and Asami would return to their apartment to check in on the situation there.

* * *

Asami sat on the couch in the living room of the lavish apartment the Earth Queen provided for the Avatar’s stay. While her own estate in Republic City made it look cheap by comparison, the apartment was still fit for royalty- spacious with access to innumerable amenities, wait staff, and private, which was definitely something hard to come by in the city.

Jinora was still distraught over Kai’s disappearance and neither her father’s wisdom nor Uncle Bumi’s stories or jokes could break her out of her depressed mood. She had left her family behind to join Asami in the living room to brood, which ultimately put the pressure on the young CEO to help reassure her.

“Not being able to feel anything from Kai is actually an indication that he’s okay.” She started with addressing the concern she heard the young airbender voice most frequently. The look she received in reply a clear indication that she would have to offer more than that- hearing a truth and believing in it are not always one and the same. “Seriously, if you don’t feel any pain coming from him, then at the very least that means that he isn’t hurt.”

Jinora fell forward burying her face in her hands, no less upset than she was before. _Okay, maybe everyone else already told her as much. How do I help her believe that Kai is alright?_ “You know that Korra is my soulmate, right?” Jinora looked up before nodding. “Well, how do I know that something hasn’t happened to her while visiting with the Earth Queen? The Avatar always has enemies, even somewhere as safe as the royal palace or maybe the queen tried to imprison her for disobeying some rule or other.” Jinora’s eyes widened in fear. _Okay, not trying to scare her- back track and just make your point._ “I _know_ Korra is alright because I can feel her. I can’t feel any pain coming from her, which means that no one has hurt her, so even though she’s taking longer than expected to return, I know that everything is okay.”

Jinora fixed her with a stare that almost made Asami’s reassuring smile waver. “But you don’t _really_ know that Korra is alright. Just because she isn’t hurt doesn’t mean that her life isn’t in danger or that she isn’t being taken prisoner or…” _This girl. How insistent can she be?_

“I know because I can feel her, always.” Asami interrupted her; she didn’t need any more reasons to worry about Korra than she already had- they were safe and that was how things were supposed to stay. But she was determined to try and convince Jinora that everything was fine, they would find Kai- eventually- she had faith in Mako and Bolin. “There tends to be a focus on our connection to our soulmate because of our shared pain, but if you close your eyes and take a deep breath- you can just… feel, that your soulmate is out there. With your connection to the spirits, I’d bet you could even sense that Kai is just fine.”

Jinora sat up on the couch, assumed the lotus position and closed her eyes. After a few moments she opened them and leaned back on the couch with a sigh, “I believe you, but I can’t help but worry that something might happen. I feel like this is my fault.” _That’s progress at least._

Asami assured her that nothing could be further from the truth- soulmate or not it simply wasn’t possible to control someone else’s actions. They also discussed how it could be hard for both partners to manage expectations when it came to building a relationship. It’s difficult to imagine that a total stranger is suddenly going to be your life partner and the first step toward building the relationship is with becoming friends first.

Jinora quickly transitioned into questioning Asami about her relationship and Asami was inclined to humor the girl- to keep her mind off Kai, since that was her goal to begin with. The first few questions were easy, Korra’s birthday, favorite color, favorite food, when was their first kiss, then she asked the harder questions, were they dating, yes. Did they refer to each other as their girlfriend? No, they generally used each other’s name. Was kissing better because they were soulmates? Yes, but she didn’t have much experience with anyone other than Korra. Did she love Korra?

“When it comes to my feelings for Korra…” Asami trailed, she knew she loved her soulmate, but should she confess it to the world? And should Jinora be the first person to hear her say it?

“Are you talking about me? I thought I heard my name.” Korra was suddenly standing in the doorway, a knowing smirk on her face. Asami stared at her soulmate out of concern she could have heard that last question and because she was an absolute vision. The light from the doorway created an aura around her whole body as she rested all of her weight on one leg, her head cocked slightly to the side. The angle of the sun’s light created deep shadows on her arms that accentuated her muscles and her strong stance reminded Asami of all of the other muscles her hands could trace lying just beneath that blue shirt. Her mouth went dry and she couldn’t have formulated a response to Korra’s question if she tried.

“I was questioning Asami, to see how well she knew you. Now you can confirm her answers,” Jinora was almost too excited. _Please just don’t bring up that last question._

Korra consented as she made her way over to where Asami was sitting. As she sat down on the couch she wrapped an arm around her soulmate planting a kiss on her cheek before snuggling into the crook of Asami’s neck. _I really have to ask about this change in heart- you’ve been so affectionate and open lately._ As Korra confirmed the answers Asami gave Jinora, she let her hand rest on her soulmate’s thigh and Asami caught the smile widen on her face as Asami’s hand found its way to hold her side. They continued to humor Jinora with conversation about the connection between soulmates and their experience with shared pain, the simple system they had for communicating, and sharing as few details about their relationship as possible. As the conversation wore on, Korra shifted to lay down with her head resting in Asami’s lap, staring up at her with a big smile.

As the evening progressed, Tenzin and Bumi brought in a lavish meal that the wait staff had prepared. As they enjoyed the meal, everyone contributed to the conversation in their own way, which drifted from the relatively lighthearted discussion that they had shared with Jinora. Korra informed them of the Earth Queen’s denial of airbenders being present in the city, which she got very worked up over. Tenzin advised them that he had heard from Pema and there were some new airbenders that had shown up on Air Temple Island and they officially were setting off for the Northern Air Temple. And Bumi regaled them all with tales of his incredible journeys. Asami stayed quiet for the most part, neither potential business deals or new designs or even Future Industries’s growth seemed like worthy topics of conversation for everyone present, it was only ever Korra who occasionally expressed interest in hearing about how she spent her time.

After the meal, they enjoyed some tea, planning on waiting up for Mako and Bolin to return with Kai. Asami found her soulmate to be in quite the mood, and after finishing her second cup of tea, Korra was snuggling up to her again. While such affection certainly wasn’t inappropriate in nature, it was definitely out of character. Korra rarely displayed her affection publically and when she did, it was brief and cause for embarrassment. However, as they waited for the return of their companions, Asami found herself trying to maintain her composure, while the Avatar ran fingers through her hair, nuzzled her neck, rubbed her side and at one point even sighed contentedly while planting a kiss to the crook of her neck. Asami felt the heat in her cheeks and tried to focus on her tea and the small talk being had. _Korra, you’re not even blushing and you haven’t taken your eyes off of me once since you finished your tea. You haven’t even contributed to the conversation since talking about the Earth Queen lying._

Finally it grew late enough that everyone decided to retire for the evening, if Mako and Bolin hadn’t returned by morning then they would start searching the city for them. Once finally alone in Korra’s room (the Earth Queen was unaware of the Avatar’s relationship and had a separate room reserved for the CEO), Asami slipped out of Korra’s grasp and asked for her to explain her actions. “You have had your arms wrapped around me all afternoon and evening, except for when we were eating- why are you being so affectionate?”

“I’m just happy we’re together?” Korra looked confused as to why her affection was being questioned. A raised eyebrow and a look of disbelief suggested that she elaborate. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable or anything. I’m just really glad you came with me to look for airbenders. We haven’t been able to spend time together like this, well ever really. And I…” _Love me?_ Asami’s heart almost stopped. “I didn’t think we had to hide in front of our friends, so when I wanted to snuggle with you, I just did. It’s nice having you close, especially since neither of us got hurt while getting the gold.” _Once again, you’re getting ahead of yourself. She doesn’t feel that way about you yet. It’s only been about a month since we told everyone._

The CEO wasn’t sure she was entirely convinced by Korra’s explanation, but her endearing crooked smile and bright eyes won her over. And as they got into bed, Korra’s desire to cuddle only increased and Asami found herself lovingly wrapped in strong arms. While kisses were shared, they were not the hot and hungry ones of recent days, but rather the soft, kind and caring ones that made Asami melt and her heart swell. There was nowhere she felt safer or more at peace than in Korra’s arms- like being cuddled could keep all of the bad in the world far away for them to enjoy their own little space. And so, Asami fell asleep, a smile on her face and slept more soundly than she ever had before.

* * *

Korra awoke before her soulmate, which was uncommon. She hated mornings even if her life and role as Avatar required that she rise early daily. Slowly and gently she untangled herself from the beautiful raven-haired girl that she spent the night with. As she changed out of her nightwear and into her usual outfit, her mind wandered back to the night before, it wasn’t surprising that Asami had finally asked about her sudden change in behavior, but she hoped that her half-truth would be enough to satisfy the engineer’s curiosity. _How am I supposed to tell her that I couldn’t even admit to myself that I was putting being the Avatar before my feelings for my soulmate? Ugh- it’s not even that simple! I’m the Avatar- it’s not like being a pilot or something- I can’t stop being the Avatar, everyday of my life I’ll be the Avatar and I have a duty to the whole world. But that doesn’t mean I can just push my soulmate to the side, especially when I- when I… love her. She’d never forgive me- she always puts helping me first and I couldn’t even choose her even though I love her. I really am the worst soulmate ever._

“You’re up early?” Asami had apparently woken up from her slumber, unknowingly just in time to stop her thoughts from getting any darker.

“Yeah, I was going to see about breakfast and if Mako and Bolin ever made it back. I’ll meet you outside?” Asami nodded as she stretched, waking up looking just as gorgeous as ever. Korra placed a quick kiss to her forehead before walking out because it always made her feel warm inside when Asami did it to her in the mornings.

What greeted Korra upon retrieving breakfast was nothing, but a stream of bad news. Mako and Bolin were still gone and no one had heard from them. Worse still was the news that Jinora felt Kai get attacked last night and apparently he had been fighting sporadically since. Although Korra was grateful that Jinora had opted to wake her father, who then insisted on letting the Avatar and her soulmate sleep through the night. The final straw however, was a missive the Earth Queen sent informing them once again that there were no airbenders in Ba Sing Se and that they should prepare to leave. Korra had burned the parchment to ash and threatened the messenger who ran off terrified.

She was in the backyard of the apartment throwing flames into the air in her fury, when her soulmate’s voice caught her attention. Asami stood in full protective gear and padding, with the offer to spare so that Korra could let off some of her pent up anger and aggression. As Korra threw punches and kicks, she was forced to recognize Asami’s skill in hand-to-hand combat. As often as she saw the engineer take down any number of adversaries, watching her dodge and weave and counter any number of Korra’s own attacks was something else. Korra vented her frustrations about the Earth Queen and consequently only succeeded in getting herself angrier. Before long she was putting all of her strength into every punch and kick. _I know the Earth Queen is lying! She was just using me! Everyone hates me for how Harmonic Convergence ended! I couldn’t stop Amon! I’m failing to restore the Air Nation! I’m the worst Avatar ever!_ With every self-loathing thought she fought harder and harder, as if she could beat all of her failures out of existence. It wasn’t until she bolstered a high kick with airbending that sent one of Asami’s protective pads flying that she realized how much she was hurting her soulmate. She could feel her own body pock marked with spots that were no doubt beginning to bruise on Asami’s body.

At once she felt sick to her stomach. Sparring and practice fighting was one thing, but she hit her girlfriend and it _hurt._ She really was terrible- the worst Avatar, the worst person and definitely the worst soulmate. Every decision she ever made was wrong- nothing ever worked out the way it was supposed to. She never meant to hurt Asami. It was just yesterday that she had been lamenting over how she hated doing just that because of their soulmate bond and now she had hurt her directly. Korra staggered on her feet, light headed, she really was going to be sick, _what kind of horrible person hits the people they care about._ At once thoughts of Hiroshi threatening to kill Asami and attacking her flooded her mind, _I’m as bad as he is, I’m a monster._ She couldn’t breathe. “Asami… I didn’t mean… I’m so sorry…” She turned away, she was prepared to turn and run to try and get away from everything she had just done and get away from herself, when a hand wrapped around her wrist. Korra froze she wasn’t going to risk moving and somehow hurt her again.

“It was an accident. Korra, it’s okay. I know you didn’t mean to.” Asami’s voice sounded so sure, so comforting. But that was wrong- it wasn’t okay. Shouldn’t be okay. She _hated_ herself for what just happened. How could she have let this happen? The hand around her wrist let go as arms wrapped themselves around her torso, calm reassuring hands resting on her shoulders. She was pulled gently backwards until Asami’s chest was flush against her back. Then her soulmate’s lips were by her ear whispering sweet and kind words, that she knew it was an accident, that she knew how bad Korra felt, which meant that it wouldn’t happen again, that it was Asami’s idea to begin with, and that despite what just happened she felt most safe when she was in Korra’s arms.

Korra began to protest because none of that could be true or make up for the fact that it happened in the first place. “I know you, you’d never intentionally hurt me.” And suddenly Asami had her turned around soft red lips capturing her own, promising that everything really was okay and insisting that Korra wasn’t as horrible as she felt and believed herself to be in that moment. “Accidents happen. I know you and I trust you. Forgive yourself.” Those sweet lips were on hers again, tender and soothing and the self-loathing and sick feeling began to abate. Korra searched the green eyes that sparkled back at her- they were honest, true, and caring. If Asami was insisting she let this go she would, but she vowed to herself that she wouldn’t ever lose herself in anger ever again.

“I’m going to heal you,” Korra’s voice was tight with emotion. She stepped back and waved her hands in the air, although it was both a very advanced technique and could prove to be exhausting, Korra pulled a substantial amount of water from the air. She let it coat her hands and as it began to glow she pressed her hands to each location she struck Asami, forcing the healing water through the clothes Asami had on. It took an immense amount of concentration and effort to heal even minor injuries in such a manner, but Korra didn’t even notice the fatigue or strain and when she finished there was no doubt that any damage done had been fixed and Korra was skilled enough to not leave the clothes Asami wore even the slightest bit damp. “I know that this doesn’t really fix anything… I’m sorry. I swear nothing like this will ever happen again.” She had trouble looking Asami in the eyes.

“Really, it’s okay. Now stop apologizing, please.” She tried getting Korra to look her in the eye, her reassuring smile both genuine and sweet. “Let’s focus on the future. We’ve got friends to find, airbenders to recruit and hopefully some real dates to look forward to.” Korra had to chuckle at that, for all the time they had been spending together, they really had only been on one real date- dinner back before the Water Tribe Civil War, and she’d have to fix that, maybe something Asami would enjoy this time.

Any further conversation was cut short as Mako and Bolin came running up, explaining everything that they had gone through. From losing Kai, to getting stuck in the lower ring, to surprise family reunions, and ultimately discovering that all the airbenders were being round up by Dai Li agents and disappearing thereafter. At once it became clear that the Dai Li must have been the ones to attack Kai, so if they found him then they would find the rest of the airbenders too.

No sooner had the brothers finished recounting their experience then the Earth Queen herself appeared, having taken the time to leave the palace to visit the Avatar personally was clearly a sign of respect and that she was to be taken seriously. She passed on confirmed reports of airbenders from elsewhere in the Earth Kingdom and insisted that they be on their way before the end of the day. Asami boldly spoke up and explained that she had some repair work to do on their airship, a consequence of retrieving the tax money and that she would need until tomorrow to fix it. Unable to do anything else, the queen relented and informed them that they were permitted to stay one last night, but expected them gone on the morrow.

“Thanks for buying us some time,” Korra wrapped her soulmate in a gentle hug, leaning her head on the taller girl’s shoulder, still not fully over the earlier incident.

“But even with the rest of the day to look, how are we going to find Kai? Or the other airbenders?” Mako brought a hand to his chin as he stared down in thought.

“Oh! I know! Now I know that Kai hasn’t been with us very long, but…” Bolin began, but was cut off.

“Actually, I think I know exactly how to find him.” Asami spoke and drew everyone’s eyes to her, Korra even lifted her head to look her in the eyes with undivided attention. “Jinora is Kai’s soulmate- it might be possible for her to use that connection to him and her natural connection to the spirits to locate him.” _Asami you’re amazing. I can’t believe you thought of that, you haven’t even known about spirits for very long._

While Mako and Bolin got cleaned up from their long endeavor, the girls went to meet up with Jinora, Tenzin and Bumi. To everyone’s surprise Jinora claimed that she was able to project her spirit outside her body and after a conversation with Korra about how to hone in on a spirits signature, which is how Korra tracked down Unavaatu, she began meditating. After several long minutes passed, Jinora opened her eyes and announced that she found Kai and the other airbenders- they were under the Earth Queen’s temple. Now all they needed to do was come up with a plan to break out the prisoners and escape Ba Sing Se thereafter.

* * *

Asami and everyone else present jumped at the sound of hard knocking on the door. Concern and suspicion was present in everyone’s face- it could be the Dai Li or other agents of the queen. Could they have discovered that they were planning to free the airbenders? Before anyone made move to open the door, it was swung open with such force that the hinges rattled and in the doorway stood none other than Lin Beifong. Asami breathed a sigh of relief, as strange as it was for the chief of police of Republic City to suddenly show up, she was a friend and ally, which put to bed any fears about the queen knowing about their plans.

“Lin, what are you doing here?” Tenzin was the first to speak up and voiced the question that everyone else was thinking- really what business could the Republic City police have in Ba Sing Se?

Lin strode into the apartment with purpose, casting a serious glance at Tenzin before locking eyes with Asami, “We need to get Korra out of here immediately. Her life’s in danger.” She said it so matter of factly and with her usual almost bored tone that Asami almost couldn’t process the words she said. _Korra’s life is in danger?_ Her chest tightened with worry and she felt a little lightheaded. Lin never joked around. Everything she said and did was serious, what could possibly warrant such a threat to Korra’s life that she would personally come all the way to Ba Sing Se? Another Amon? Unalaq?

“What? What’s going on?” Korra defiant and dismissive clearly wanted an explanation.

Lin shifted her eyes from Asami to look at Tenzin, “I just got word from Lord Zuko and Tonraq. Zaheer and the others have escaped. Apparently, Zaheer is an airbender now.” Lin’s voice betrayed her however slightly and Asami picked up on it. _She’s concerned- worried. How bad is this ‘Zaheer’ person?_ Tenzin was staring at her in shock before sinking into the couch. _Tenzin is shaken too?_

“Will you just tell me what’s going on? Who’s Zaheer? Why and how is my life in danger?” Korra annoyed and angry now, clearly disliking being kept in the dark when Lin, Tenzin and apparently her father all knew something she didn’t.

Tenzin proceeded to explain how there was a kidnap attempt when she was little, shortly after it was discovered she was the Avatar. The criminals were thwarted and locked away, but had now escaped and were presumably after her once again. Their motivation for wanting the Avatar was never discovered even upon intensive questioning. Asami was shaken. The resolve it would take to not only keep quiet, but to hold onto a cause for years while impressive, was cause for concern- what could they want with Korra? _No doubt they will come and try to take her again, Lin’s right. We have to take Korra somewhere safe- they can’t want anything good for her._

“No. I’m not running, I’m not a little kid anymore. I don’t need protection. I came here for one thing- airbenders and I’m not leaving without them.” Korra was as headstrong and defiant as ever. Asami was aghast. _Korra no! You’re not invincible and we don’t even know what they want or are capable of…_

Lin was surprisingly willing to compromise, agreeing to help free the airbenders if Korra agreed to leave the city. _She didn’t even argue or threaten to try and get her way. If Lin is that desperate to get Korra somewhere safe this has to be even worse than she’s letting on._

Asami wanted to speak up, to tell Korra she should listen to Lin and that they should leave at once, let everyone else save the airbenders. However, she knew it would be futile. Just like Lin knew. Korra was too stubborn and too set on recruiting airbenders and saving these prisoners. The best thing she could do was to help anyway she could. After saving the airbenders they would leave the city and they could get Korra somewhere safe then. It was only a few hours until nightfall anyway and Lin had just arrived, which hopefully meant that this Zaheer person couldn’t be here, and a few hours likely wouldn’t make any difference.

Even though she tried, Asami wasn’t able to find the time to get Korra alone to talk about Lin’s news. There was a lot to do to prepare for their escape and Asami knew that it wouldn’t be a short conversation. Korra was too confident and too strong to be easily swayed into hiding- it wasn’t who she was- the Avatar didn’t hide and cower. No, if she were to succeed in getting Korra to hide and bunker down then Korra would have to both think it was her idea and not realize that was what she was doing. If she did nothing else, Asami was going to protect Korra from the people after her at any cost. She wasn’t going to let her go through another experience like losing her bending or having Raava ripped from her. Korra would always protect her and the world, which meant that it was up to Asami to do everything she could to protect Korra.

Asami’s portion of the prison break was easy, all she had to do was pilot the Future Industries airship, Lin was in charge of piloting the one she brought from Republic City and everyone else was going to be the main force actually freeing the prisoners. The whole plan went surprisingly smoothly and though they were discovered, the airbenders and Team Avatar proved to be more than capable of repelling the Dai Li and before long they were all on their way to a safe destination far away from the queen’s reach. Every prisoner that they rescued were all overjoyed at the prospect of joining the New Air Nation and consequently Tenzin, Bumi, Jinora and Kai would all be going to bring them to meet up at the Northern Air Temple, where Pema, Kya and the others already were. Given the number of passengers, Asami had to let her pilot take her airship to the Northern Air Temple, while Team Avatar and Lin took the one she brought from Republic City. Korra was insisting on continuing the hunt for airbenders and Lin had made no progress in convincing her to go to Republic City. Asami felt more than a little guilty, she knew that every time Lin locked eyes with her she was silently asking for help with her soulmate. Asami remained silent, however, she had a plan for keeping Korra safe, but she had to first find out where safe could be and then figure out how to make Korra think it was her idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and are excited for the next one! I hope that the interjected thoughts weren't particularly overbearing, but I felt there was enough insight to be had from them to keep it written that way. As always I thank you for reading and welcome any comments and constructive criticism


	6. Chapter 43: Zaofu

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the block of text following this chapter, but at least it’s coming a day early. Please enjoy another relatively light-hearted and fluffy chapter (these will only last so long).

They had stopped midday in the middle of nowhere. Korra had made it clear that Naga was getting a little agitated and with it being such a beautiful day, it would be nice to stop for lunch. Korra and the others were all outside playing fetch with Naga, except for Lin who continued to berate Korra for not taking the threat to her life seriously. Asami truly did sympathize with Lin, but in this case Korra had a point- there really was no way that anyone in the world could know where they were and if they kept on the move then they couldn’t be tracked down. It was a temporary solution at best, but it was something.

Asami had opted to remain on the airship to continue with her own plan for keeping Korra safe. Between the reports the Earth Queen had given them and the ones that they received on the radio there were any number of potential spots that they could go looking for airbenders, but Asami had hidden them all. The next place they went had to be safe and have a reason for Korra to _want_ to stay. That was when she stumbled upon the report from Zaofu. The matriarch had requested that someone come to train her daughter who was a new airbender. Asami was familiar with the metal clan by reputation only. Some of her business deals occasionally touched on what the metal clan offered and one thing that she knew with certainty was that the city was locked down every night, with many guards on 24-hour watch.

Asami called out the door of the airship, “We just got a call on the radio about another airbender in a city called Zaofu.” Lin was immediately against going for some reason, but Korra was determined to set out for anywhere an airbender could be found. Just as she expected. Asami smiled to herself- all according to plan. Now all that it would take is the proper nudging to convince Korra that she should train this new airbender, thereby keeping them there for a lengthy period of time, assuming of course that Zaofu was really the safe haven she hoped it to be. _Somewhere safe and Korra will be able to think it was her idea, all while fulfilling her role as the Avatar._ It might have been a little wrong to manipulate her soulmate, but Asami wasn’t going to let Korra suffer through another experience like Harmonic Convergence, not if she could help it.

As they touched down in Zaofu, everyone except Lin was awestruck. The city was already impressive- the technological heights easy to observe and the city itself was an art piece as well. Lin had indicated that she would be staying on the airship and that they would leave once they brought back the airbender, but as Asami locked eyes with her and gave a slight shake of her head, Lin grimaced and agreed to go. There was no doubt that the young CEO would have to explain herself to the chief later, they had been trying to talk about the situation with Korra with looks and slight gestures and given that Asami had yet to actually talk to Korra about going somewhere safe, there were bound to be some questions to answer about arriving in Zaofu and asking Lin to come along.

As a kindly man named Aiwei escorted them through the city, Asami did her best to examine the security of Zaofu. It seemed likely that the reports that the entire city was sealed up during the night were true if the giant arms stretching out in all directions were any indication. And the vast number of guards certainly encouraged the idea that the city was indeed secure and monitored. She could only hope that Lin was doing much the same thing and knowing the chief of police and seeing her eyes cast about from side to side, Asami could be sure that she was.

Once they were finally introduced to the matriarch of Zaofu, Suyin Beifong, it became clear as to why Lin didn’t want to come- there was evidently some bad blood and hard feelings in their family, even if Su insisted that it was all in the past. To Asami’s surprise, almost no introductions were necessary, as Su had apparently done her research on all of them well ahead of time. Although they had just met, Asami had a good feeling about Su and about being in Zaofu. Su seemed to be trustworthy and genuine, which was more than could be said for a lot of people and Asami prided herself on being a good judge of character. Despite whatever tension there may have been from Lin’s presence, Su was delighted to introduce them all to her family ending with the new airbender, her daughter: Opal.

“Wow, Avatar Korra. I can’t believe you’re really here. You are so amazing.” As Opal greeted them and introductions were made, Asami was pleased to note how sweet and innocent Opal was. It would make Korra that much more inclined to agree to train her. Although, it was always possible that she may want to leave for the Northern Air Temple, especially with the way that Bolin and Opal seemed to be unable to look away from one another.

“So, I’ve set all of you up in the guest houses, while Korra trains Opal.” Su was apparently a gracious host, they would be staying in the heart of Zaofu on her personal estate- no where could be safer. Korra began to decline, indicating that Opal was to be trained with everyone else at the Northern Air Temple, a prospect that Opal was all too excited about. Lin’s follow up that they were taking Opal and leaving so that the Avatar could remain under her protection didn’t help either- it seemed like there were too many forces wanting them to leave. Korra’s dismissive explanation that a “bunch of crazy criminals were after her” likely meant that Su wouldn’t want them to stay anymore either. “Nonsense. This is where Opal’s home and family are. You can train her here. And if you’re concerned about security- don’t be. This is the safest city in the world.” Surprisingly, Su was still welcoming them with open arms and Asami was at once convinced that Zaofu really was the safest place for them to hide out until Korra was no longer in danger.

Korra was still hesitant. Asami could see her soulmate thinking it over. _She’s going to decline! She must not want to put anyone in danger and she probably wants to track down more airbenders and she probably doesn’t think she can teach. We have to stay here- Su is right this is the safest place for Korra._ She could feel the rising panic in her and decided to try and nudge Korra toward making the decision that would also keep her safe.

“Why don’t you help Opal get started?” Asami’s voice drew Korra’s attention. “We can stay for a few days at least and you can teach her the basics. You’re a great teacher and we don’t even have any other stops planned.” She smiled sweetly as the blue-eyed girl mulled over her words, clearly giving her input special attention. _Hopefully I didn’t lay it on too thick…_

“Okay, we can stay for a little while. A change of pace will be nice. I’ve never really been a teacher before, but it could be fun.” As Korra smiled and began to make plans with Opal about a training schedule for the next few days, Asami breathed a sigh of relief. Korra was totally on board with hiding in the safest city in the world and if Asami could keep her distracted and entertained enough then there was no doubt that they could stay for far longer than a few days.

* * *

Korra was already glad she had decided to stay in Zaofu for a little while. The seared elephant koi that she devoured was delicious and definitely the best thing she’d eaten in a long time, but maybe that was because she was partial to seafood. Although she was seated by Su’s side as the guest of honor, she would have rather been next to her friends and soulmate, especially since in Su’s “enlightened” world she was constantly asking Korra hard questions about political and philosophical ideas that had never even crossed her mind. However, Su was genuinely kind and considerate and didn’t so much as bat an eye when her husband and soulmate: Bataar indicated that he wouldn’t be joining them, even though it was customary for Su’s whole family to eat dinner together.

Bolin and Opal seemed to be getting along surprisingly well, constantly laughing and sharing stories. Korra had never seen him so smitten before, but apparently he was acting in much the same way as when he believed that his co-star Ginger was his soulmate, or at least that’s what Asami had told her. As the meal wore on, Lin continued to grumble and antagonize her sister, when Varrick and Zhu Li suddenly walked in. Immediately the atmosphere changed, Korra was set on edge because she wasn’t sure how Asami would feel, and given the look on her face as Varrick helped himself to the open seat next to her, Korra could only imagine how angry she was. Mako seemed rather annoyed by his presence too, even more so when Bolin shouted a happy greeting, but it was Lin’s rage about a criminal being present, when the Avatar was in danger that caused her to storm out after Su defended the business tycoon.

The evening was really ruined after that, after some brief discussion to maintain an air of respect and dignity, both Mako and Asami excused themselves to retire to the guest houses. Bolin and Opal made plans to go for an evening stroll and as the rest of Su’s family slowly filed away, Korra was trapped with Varrick, Zhu Li and Su, who continued to prod the Avatar for her input on questions of philosophy and world order. She did her best to answer some questions, like when Varrick chipped in, “what was anyone doing here?” well, as the Avatar she existed to keep balance? She did manage to slowly work her way into finding out more about what Zaofu had to offer. They were going to be staying for a few days and not every minute would be devoted to Opal’s training, so it seemed prudent to try and plan something else fun to do.

Before retiring for the evening, Korra popped into Asami’s room after a quick knock, if for no other reason than to see how she was handling Varrick’s unexpected presence. Asami had already changed into her elegant nightwear and Korra felt a pang of regret, this would be the first night since leaving Republic City that she wouldn’t have Asami next to her as they fell asleep. It was almost strange how comfortable and natural it had become and it would be a lonely night without her. The young CEO appreciated her concerns, but assured her that although a touch miffed at Varrick’s presence, she was by no means upset by it.

“I’m glad we’re staying for a while.” Asami was smiling, as she looked up at Korra, having been sitting in her bed, paperwork in hand and equalist glove on the nightstand beside her. “I’ve heard about the engineering that the metal clan was capable of, so it’ll be nice to get to see some of it firsthand.”

Korra hadn’t even thought about that. She was so focused on recruiting more airbenders that she didn’t even take into consideration that maybe her companions or soulmate would want to take a short break. _Ugh, I’m so selfish. Asami is always thinking about me and what I want; I need to start doing the same for her._ “About that. Seeing the city, I mean. I didn’t know if maybe you’d want to do an activity together?” They were already dating why was it so hard just to ask her girlfriend out on a date? Korra was standing at the foot of the bed, smiling nervously while waiting for a response. Asami had her fixed with an inquisitive look and Korra did her best not to fidget, though she did resort to her usual tick of scratching her neck.

“Sure, what did you have in mind?” It seemed Asami had decided not to tease her about her phrasing though the look in her eye suggested she thought about it.

But what did she have in mind? She had gotten a lot of ideas from Su about fun things to do, but what was something that Asami would enjoy? Maybe something relaxing- their lives tended to be exciting enough as it was and Asami seemed to enjoy the shoulder massage Korra had given her when they went to retrieve the tax money… “I thought maybe we could go for a spa day? Su told me about this one here in the city that’s supposedly the best in the world…”

The look she received from her soulmate was nothing short of disbelief, but to be fair it was a very un-Korra like suggestion. Korra truthfully didn’t have any real interest in going to the spa- stripping down and being prodded by people didn’t sound fun, but she imagined it was something that Asami would enjoy and it was a good way for them to spend some quiet time together that didn’t involve any carnal desires. It would be nice just to enjoy the company of her soulmate in a quiet and warm atmosphere, where they could hopefully forget about the threat to her life. Even though she was hiding it well, Korra had picked up on all the concerned looks Asami kept giving her whenever she thought Korra wouldn’t notice.

Asami readily agreed and after agreeing to head out shortly after breakfast the next morning, Korra helped herself to a seat beside Asami on the bed. Korra spent several long minutes kissing her goodnight before heading to her own room. After, changing and getting into bed, she sighed. It was lonely without her soulmate nearby and the bed seemed to be cold as well. Glancing at the foot of the bed, she was glad Naga was nearby, the smell of polar bear dog and the beast’s gentle breathing always brought her comfort as a child and still did.

* * *

Asami hadn’t slept well last night. She had grown far to used to having her soulmate’s strong arms wrapped around her and kept waking up in a panic frantically searching the bed to feel the warmth that Korra’s body radiated. That was one thing that was always puzzling, being a bender and being able to regulate her body temperature was one thing, but Korra was always so warm- regardless of the weather and the engineer could never remember a moment that Korra was actually cold. She wished that they didn’t have to hide their relationship from the world, it would have been so nice to snuggle into Korra as she drifted off to sleep.

The morning eventually came and after breakfast she was pleased to discover that Korra really had asked her on a date to the spa- no one else was invited or had invited themselves- meaning that it was an honest to goodness date. Not only was it sweet to be asked out by her girlfriend/soulmate, but Korra had also offered to do something that she likely had no interest in- purely for her soulmate’s enjoyment. What came, as an even bigger shock was that Korra seemed to actually be enjoying their time in the spa. Although, the Avatar had looked more than a little uncomfortable in the sauna, that was likely on account of the sweltering heat being the most opposite from her home climate. 

As they lay next to each other for their massage, she even heard Korra occasionally sigh and groan in appreciation. Of course she was practically mute in comparison to her soulmate, Asami hadn’t enjoyed a massage so completely in a very long time and savored every moment, consequently unable to contain her vocal expression of just how good it felt. Following the massage, they were treated to a full body exfoliating scrub before being rubbed down with seaweed infused aloe culminating in a tealeaf wrap. Korra had apparently tried to go all out on this date because they were to be treated with facials and have their makeup done by a world-renowned expert.

“I’m not sure how you successfully kidnapped and impersonated the Avatar, but I would like my girlfriend back when we’re done here.” Asami teased her soulmate. They had been left alone to “bake” in a warm room while the tealeaf wrap took affect, so they were able to speak freely. She opened her eyes just slightly to look over at Korra, who lay beside her eyes closed looking completely at peace and happy.

“If I knew I could get you to moan like that from just a massage I wouldn’t have been so focused on taking your clothes off.” Korra shot back without so much as opening an eye.

“If I knew it was this easy to get _your_ clothes off, I’d have dragged you to a spa back in Ba Sing Se.”

“If I knew I could get us alone in a room with _both_ our clothes off, I’d have flown us here after leaving the South Pole.” Asami laughed out loud and smiled wide. Korra took her out on a special date, seemed to be enjoying herself at the spa, and she was engaging in some playful and suggestive flirting. Asami was beside herself; this was quickly proving to be the best day in a long time. It was almost enough to make her forget that Korra’s life was in danger. Almost.

They continued their light and playful banter, until the spa attendants came back in to begin on the next phase of their treatment. They were only separated from each other when it came time for their makeup to be done in order for the reveal to be a big surprise. Asami had to admit that the professional that worked on her was truly talented, she had spent a number of hours with a tutor to teach her how to do her own makeup, something her father insisted was important for someone of her status. However, both the technique and color selection utilized was a cut above anything she had seen before. _I wonder how Korra is doing, I haven’t heard any yells or earthbending, but I also know how much she hates makeup._ When they had finally finished and she was reunited with Korra, her jaw legitimately dropped and she stared open mouthed before she had a chance to compose herself.

“Ugh, I knew I looked stupid. I told them that they shouldn’t even bother.” For all the frustration in her voice, Korra was clearly embarrassed and a little hurt (she could feel it, however slightly), believing that her appearance wasn’t well received.

“No, you’re stunning.” Asami’s voice had enough conviction to not only make her soulmate believe her, but also had the added effect of making her blush- adding to her beauty. Having never seen Korra wear makeup even for formal appearances (outside of some carefully covered love bites), Asami was amazed, rather than cover or alter or enhance her appearance her makeup simply highlighted her natural beauty, almost like she wasn’t wearing any. Her eyes seemed brighter, bluer, and even more eye catching. Her cheeks glowed from her natural blush and the makeup only accentuated it. Her lipstick was perhaps the only instance of her natural beauty not being enhanced, but it did make her lips look fuller and much more kissable.

“Well, you look snazzy as always,” Korra was still blushing deeply not fully confident about her appearance. Asami wanted nothing more than to kiss her, she was so beautiful and sweet and had made this such a special day. But they were in public and it wouldn’t be right to expose their relationship to such a degree, considering Korra was still in danger. Instead she opted to take the Avatar’s hands in her own and look deep into the gorgeous pools of ocean in her eyes and thank her for the most wonderful date.

They walked back to Su’s home, hand in hand, talking and laughing. They would have to part once they arrived as Korra was going to have to start Opal’s training and Asami was going to check in with Lin, under the pretense of trying to mend her familial issues. But until then, Asami was happy to enjoy the time she had with Korra- thanking her time and again; she even sneaked a quick kiss to the lips, when she was sure no one could see them. Asami left the Avatar happy but sighed deeply once they were apart. It was time she clued Lin in on her plans- they were staying in Zaofu to keep Korra safe and they would be able to stay so long as Korra kept thinking it was her idea. She just hoped Lin was willing to try and begin working through her family drama, that way they could use it as yet another reason for Korra to stay.

* * *

“Hey! Korra! I was just telling Opal, about this one time, when we were playing as the Fire Ferrets and… wait, are you wearing makeup?” Bolin was apparently becoming inseparable from Opal. Korra had agreed to show Opal the basics of airbending, primarily as a way to help her get enough control to not hurt anyone and to hopefully encourage her to join the New Air Nation. She had hoped that Opal would be alone, for one she had never taught anyone anything- even if Asami had said she was a great teacher for some reason and secondly she hoped that only having just met her that Opal wouldn’t notice the fact that she had her face painted to make her look like a freak. Asami had said she looked good and she knew that her soulmate wouldn’t lie, but she couldn’t help but feel foolish- it was too out of character for her.

“Yeah, well… I took Asami to the spa and it was kind of unavoidable.” She snapped, hopefully Bolin would leave it be and she could just focus on airbending. Something nice and easy to help clear her mind of all the steamy thoughts that had filled her mind while being with Asami.

“Aw, you guys went on a date. That’s so sweet! I can’t wait for my first date. You look great, by the way- very pretty.” Opal sounded far too happy and was getting the wrong idea. Well, it was the right idea, but Opal was practically a stranger- Korra couldn’t admit that Asami was her soulmate- the potential ramifications were too great. _Think. How to make it sound like it wasn’t a date and it was just two friends- alone- in an intimate setting- without any romantic feelings- or sexual tension. Just a normal friend thing?_

“Yes! I call dibbs on the first soulmate double date! But maybe not the spa, maybe you and Asami and-” _Bolin, don’t give it away!_

“Shut up!” Korra used some airbending to knock him off his feet. In her panic and frustration, she didn’t even notice Opal wince.

“Ow, hey- Korra it’s fine. I know you don’t want people knowing to protect Asami and whatever, but I was trying to tell you-” Bolin was already getting back on his feet, smiling wide and wrapping an arm around Opal’s waist. “Opal’s my soulmate! Which is why we clicked so well. Of course I almost ruined it by trying to act too cool, but then she hurt my feelings, which she felt! So then we knew and she told me she liked me better when I wasn’t trying so hard. Oh man, this is great! Now we just need to find Mako’s soulmate and we can all go out on a Team Avatar soulmate date!” Bolin, excited as always was far too happy.

Korra was conflicted, Opal seemed like a genuinely good person and being Bolin’s soulmate was another good reason to trust her, although it wasn’t like she had much of a choice now anyway. But it was prudent that as few people as possible find out that Asami was her soulmate. Korra wasn’t worried about this ‘Zaheer’ criminal because she was confident that she could protect herself, but if he got Asami…

After a relatively short, but serious discussion with Opal about the importance of secrecy and promises of trust in the name of love were made, Korra was content to trust Opal without any further trepidation, especially considering how Opal was continually bowing to thank her for her trust. And though they didn’t have much time left to actually devote to airbending, Korra did outline the basics of the footwork. Opal proved to be a fast learner and Korra surprised herself at how well she was able to teach. Bolin simply sat and watched the lesson, saying how he enjoyed watching his soulmate move about gracefully.

After Opal’s training and after another exquisite meal prepared by Su’s pirate turned chef, Korra had returned to her room and dressed for bed. She had spent such a nice day with Asami that it seemed like a monumental failure to spend the night away from her. Deciding to act in accordance with her gut, rather than her head, she told Naga to get into the bed to sleep and then left to go to Asami’s room. If it was discovered that the Avatar had not spent the night in her own room- she could always try and convince everyone it was because Naga was in her bed, which technically wouldn’t be a lie- so even Aiwei shouldn’t suspect anything if it came to that.

Though she tried opening the door quietly seeing that the lights in Asami’s room were already out, she ended up waking the engineer who had her glove on and had almost tackled Korra before realizing who it was. Korra was perhaps a little too happy to hear that Asami had missed sleeping next to her as much as she had. As they got into bed, kisses were shared and nightshirts discarded, both savoring the feel of extra soft skin from their date. When they finally settled down to sleep both relished the feel of the other pressed against them- skin to skin, the bed warm and comforting once again.

* * *

A million thoughts raced through Asami’s mind when she heard her door creak open, all of them with one central theme- somehow Zaheer and his allies were launching an attack against Korra. She kept her equalist glove on the nightstand for just this reason and had slipped it on in the same motion as she launched herself from the bed. She barely stopped herself in time when she saw an all too familiar set of blue eyes sparkling in the dark.

It meant so much to hear that Korra had missed spending the night with her, because that meant that Korra yearned to be with her as much as she yearned for Korra. Korra had confessed to caring about Asami a handful of times and with how Korra treated her there was no question that the Avatar cared in a special way, likely a romantic way. It was silly for so many reasons to want to hear that verbal confirmation of Korra’s feelings, but if Asami heard them then that would undeniably confirm that their feelings were mutual. And if Korra said it and she said it back, maybe Asami could find the courage to ask her soulmate to take the threat to her life seriously.

Asami had successfully sated her soulmate’s desire for kisses and caresses, which was no easy feat and Korra had fallen asleep like they usually did with her arms wrapped around the engineer. Being held by Korra really did make Asami feel happier and safer than anywhere else. Korra’s arms protected her and shielded her from the world, but Asami had found herself unable to sleep even despite the comfort her soulmate brought. Asami was too worried about her soulmate to sleep properly, even with Korra next to her and she raised herself up on her elbows to stare at the Avatar’s sleeping face. It wasn’t often that Asami watched Korra sleep- it was much better to enjoy being with Korra in the moment and to drift off to slumber with her. However, on those few occasions she did, she was reminded of the very first time she watched Korra sleeping. Korra had just escaped from Tarrlok’s imprisonment and barely avoided being captured by Amon. They had taken her, dehydrated, bruised, and suffering some relatively minor cuts, back to Air Temple Island where she was treated. An acolyte had brought a chair for Asami to sit in and she had sat for hours watching Korra sleep. The most striking thing that was as true then as it was now was just how young Korra looked.

The girl lying next to Asami was young, even younger than she was. Korra didn’t sleep how most people would imagine given her overbearing personality. Korra slept gently, if deeply. Her breathing slow and steady with her mouth just barely open. She didn’t move much either, once she was comfortable she generally stayed in the same position all night, the only semi-consistent movement would be to pull her soulmate a little closer. The one thing that was different now from that first time is how much Asami cared about her. In a certain sense, it was likely an eventuality since they were soulmates, but Asami _loved_ the sleeping girl next to her. When Korra slept, the weight of being the Avatar fell off her shoulders and she was free to be young and peaceful and innocent. And it was this girl, this young, strikingly beautiful, kind, caring, impossibly selfless girl that Asami loved.

It was because she loved this girl that Asami was so worried. It was because she loved her that she had compelled Korra to want to stay in Zaofu. And it was because she loved Korra that she would do everything in her power to protect her. Asami didn’t know anything about Zaheer, but she knew Lin Beifong. Lin was tough enough and brave enough to stand against Amon, to order President Raiko around and even stare down the Avatar on occasion. And Lin was worried, worried enough to confess it to Asami during their visit earlier. Lin had explained that the main reason she wanted Korra back in Republic City was because she could trust her officers and no matter how tight security in Zaofu might be, they didn’t know whom they could trust. If Lin said she was worried, that meant she was likely at least a little afraid and that had Asami terrified.

Korra said she hated causing Asami pain on account of their soulmate bond, but what Asami hated was watching and _allowing_ Korra to risk her life and suffer. No more. From now on Asami was going to do everything in her power to protect Korra. She’d protect Korra from the people after her- from the world if she had to. All told it was only very recently that Harmonic Convergence passed and already Korra’s life was in danger again. It wasn’t right. Considering everything Korra had done and was willing to do- she deserved better from the world.

“I love you, Korra.” She whispered it into the night. It was the first time she said it aloud and even though Korra didn’t hear it, Asami didn’t need her to it. It was a confession, a promise, and an unfaltering truth. She had thought it a thousand times since she realized her feelings, but saying it out loud made it more real. Asami had fought and worked hard for any number of things in her life- from school, to engineering, to Future Industries, to any number of Avatar missions, but this one- fighting and working to keep her soulmate safe- to protect the young girl she loved so dearly was more important by far.

Korra’s arms tightened ever so slightly, encouraging Asami to again rest her head on Korra’s chest. The beat of Korra’s heart always made Asami drowsy. It was calm, constant, strong- a reminder that Korra was still okay, still safe, and still at peace. Korra deserved all of that, to sleep peacefully every night, ideally knowing that she wasn’t in any danger and that she was loved.

She whispered it again, “I love you, Korra.” The sleeping girl didn’t react. Her chest continuing to rise and fall gently. Her heart beat steady. This time, it was a vow more to herself than to her soulmate- a vow to always be there and always support this amazing girl that held her tightly. A vow that Korra would never be alone. And above all else a vow to protect the person whose duty it was to protect the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now for me to explain something related to the actual content of this chapter and my view on this AU as a whole. A question that I had to ask myself is essentially: if Asami is sick with worry over Korra being in danger- would Korra be able to feel it (since they can feel each other’s emotional pain)? I am of the opinion that the answer is ‘no’ (which is why it never comes up in this chapter). But why? I have come to the conclusion that emotional pain is going to be widely classified as something that would “make your heart hurt.” Now there are a variety of emotions that can “make your heart hurt”- sadness (and its varying degrees), self-loathing, etc, but at least in my opinion worry would not be one of those things. Even if that worry grows to be so great as to be something akin to crippling anxiety, I don’t think that it would be something that would “make your heart hurt” (perhaps to explain it more precisely worry/anxiety might be categorized as things that would “make your heart sick”). As such, even though their worries often come up in response to emotional pain, the worry itself is not the actual feeling that is shared, but rather the source of the other issues/emotions present. That having been said, I am not trying to downplay how serious worry/anxiety can be or how much emotional stress and personal strife they can cause, as those things are very relevant as we continue to go forward, but specifically in terms of “shared pain” it is going to be my interpretation that it cannot be felt (and I do believe the basis for this is very well laid out in the original work- how much worry/anxiety did Korra feel over the whole equalist movement and civil war or how much worry/anxiety Asami had over Future Industries- none of which was discussed as a moment of shared pain, even if these things were often the catalyst for emotional pain). All of that aside, I do hope that you found this chapter to be enjoyable and that are looking forward to the next one. As always, I thank you very much for reading and welcome any/all comments and constructive criticism.


	7. Chapter 44: Metalbending Champion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is another block of text discussing a few points in this chapter and what is to come, but all of that can wait until afterwards. Enjoy!

Korra was sitting in Su’s dining room enjoying a delectable breakfast featuring eggs and fish. She was further pleased to be sitting next to Asami instead of next to Su as she had been during previous meals. Bolin and Opal were seated across from them with Mako next to his brother. The announcement that Opal had found her soulmate was done at dinner the night before, surprisingly without any fanfare- apparently soulmate or not Bolin was still going to have to earn Su’s respect on merit of his character. Even though Su tried to have the entire family present for dinner, the same effort was not put into breakfast as the rest of her family came and went to eat as they pleased. As Wing and Wei boisterously entered the room to grab some fruit as their breakfast of choice, they made the mistake of inviting Korra to play power disc with them- both so they had a chance to beat her and as a competition to see which one could fair better against the Avatar.

“Oh, I don’t think I’d be much competition since I can’t metalbend.” Korra replied a bit sheepishly. Being the Avatar everyone expected her to be the best bender around and she usually was, except for when it came to special skills like healing or spiritual projection, but being the only non-metalbender outside of Bolin in a city dedicated to the art was more than a little embarrassing- everyone likely assumed that as the Avatar she could metalbend as well as she could earthbend. It wasn’t that she hadn’t wanted to learn, but the opportunity hadn’t presented itself, what with her career changes of pro-bending and joining Tarrlok’s task force and fighting the equalist movement and mastering airbending and saving the world… and besides she was already incredibly strong so there wasn’t an overly pressing _need_ for her to learn.

“As the Avatar, you should have mastery over all the elements.” Su spoke up. “I’d be happy to show you the basics. And then you can really practice with my sons and even some of the guards. I’m sure they’d all be honored to serve the Avatar.”

“Really?” Korra was thrilled and grateful for the opportunity, but she was hesitant to accept. Learning metalbending would be a great way to add to her skill set and make her much stronger. The prospect of sparring multiple opponents while restricted to just metalbending sounded exciting as well- that was her favorite part of her White Lotus tests. However, learning and sparring while mastering a new element, especially one as tough as metal was supposed to be inevitably meant getting injured. Even though earthbending had come so naturally to her, when she was actually mastering it, she took more than a few hard hits. Anything she went through while learning metalbending was going to hurt Asami too- probably a lot. “What do you think?” She asked turning to look her soulmate in the eyes.

“You’re asking me?” Asami was surprised and confused and it showed on her face.

“Well, yeah. I’ve mastered enough elements and bending techniques to know what it takes. I’m sure I’ll be getting injured- probably a lot, maybe even severely. I just want to make sure you’re okay with that. I wouldn’t do it without your permission.” Korra had thought that all of this should be pretty obvious- Asami did feel her go through it all over the years, even though they hadn’t met. Mastering the four elements was absolutely necessary, but metalbending was sort of optional. As she spoke though the color drained from Asami’s face and fear began to set it.

“You two are soulmates? And you’re asking her permission? Oh, that is so romantic. I wish you’d have told me, I could have set you up in a larger room together.” Su was talking with her usual kindness, but she sounded far away as realization dawned on Korra- she had just revealed their secret.

“You can’t tell anyone!” Korra stood up, angrily and placed herself defensively between Asami and everyone else in the room. All she was met with, however, was confused looks.

“Well of course not- those criminals are after you. I wouldn’t even want to think what would happen if they got ahold of the Avatar’s soulmate.” Su waved a hand dismissively and apparently wasn’t concerned with the Avatar’s aggressive reaction. After a moment Korra relaxed and sat back down apologizing for her distrust and concern. Su, ever gracious, understood the concern that the Avatar would have over her relationship and its implications.

Asami brought the conversation back to its original course by saying that she thought Korra should take the opportunity to learn metalbending, citing the many practical uses and that a little pain would be a small price to pay for a stronger Avatar. Upon the insistence of both Su and Opal, Bolin agreed to try and learn to metalbend as well and the five of them set out for the courtyard where Su displayed her rare meteorites. Wing and Wei left them to enjoy their game of power disc, with promises to help train them once Korra and Bolin got the basics down.

Korra stared intensely at the small portion of meteorite in her hands. Su had said to feel for the tiny bits of earth within the metal and she could sense them. Sensing them was easy, warping the metal was apparently much harder, but after no more than another moment of concentration she was able to pull and warp the metal. It wasn’t very controlled, it wasn’t warped to any particularly great extent, and it was very sloppy, but she had done it.

“I can’t believe it, I’m metalbending!” Korra shouted and held the crude “wave” shape she made up for Asami to see. As Asami sang her praises, Korra beamed. Bolin beside her was clearly more than a little upset she was successful so quickly, but to his credit continued to focus on his meteorite. It would take a fair amount of time to actually master metalbending, of that Korra was sure. They would need to stay in Zaofu for probably a couple of weeks rather than a couple more days, but with Bolin discovering his soulmate and Asami happy, she supposed that they could temporarily hold off on their quest for airbenders. As it was, with the number of students Tenzin suddenly had, he was beginning to get a bit overwhelmed- even resorting to asking her for advice when they talked on the radio. It really would be best to slow things down and stay.

* * *

Asami sat on some steps near the edge of the courtyard watching Korra slowly improve how she shaped and influenced the metal in her hands. She simply cherished how cute and dorky Korra could be- despite having said how she was confident in knowing what it took to master an aspect of bending- the way her face lit up and she would shout while presenting her creation to Asami when she was particularly proud of it was simply precious. All-powerful Avatar or not, Korra was simply Korra- enjoying the little things and receiving positive feedback meant the world to her. Bolin’s continued complaints that metalbending came easily to her because she was the Avatar did irk the young engineer more than a little. It wasn’t fair how every success or achievement Korra had was practically dismissed because she was the Avatar, while every failure or struggle was ridiculed even more for the same reason. She thought back to what Senna had said to her during Harmonic Convergence- Korra really did need someone to love and support her, she got so little of both, which is why Asami tried her best to never miss an opportunity and always show Korra how much love and support she had from her soulmate.

As Korra continued to get the hang of shaping the metal, she began to make more and more complex shapes, still clearly trying to really get a grasp of how it was done. Asami smiled and giggled to herself- Korra had quickly progressed from strange looking waves to misshapen polar bear dogs and Asami thought back to the day that Korra found out they were soulmates and had demonstrated her ice sculpting abilities by making a satomobile and claiming that her best sculptures were polar bear dogs. Opal was sitting beside her, encouraging her own soulmate as Bolin continued to be unable to make the metal move at all.

“So, what’s it like being the Avatar’s soulmate?” Opal was smiling sweetly, finally looking away from the metalbending practice to focus her attention on the engineer.

“Well…” That was a loaded question and Asami wasn’t sure how to approach it. For one, it wasn’t like she had ever had someone else as her soulmate, so she didn’t have a basis for comparision- her soulmate bond had always been Korra, how was she supposed to know any different? Then there was the issue of even describing what _any_ soulmate bond was like. And what was Opal even really asking about- the shared pain? Korra’s affection? Constantly being around the Avatar? “It’s wonderful. Korra makes me really happy.” Perhaps not the most insightful answer, but it was true all the same and she followed up with posing the same question to Opal.

“I always suspected my soulmate was a bender and a little foolish. I felt way too many fights and injuries for him to be a non-bender and I always felt more than a few strange pains that meant he was occasionally clumsy. I couldn’t be happier though- he’s so genuine and has a heart of gold. He really cares about people, and just his friends, but people in general.” Opal was looking far away and dreamy eyed. Asami was stunned; she hadn’t expected such an analysis of Bolin or such a big love confession. How much had they been talking for Opal to have this much insight?

Opal was silent a moment before continuing, “Really, though please tell me about Avatar Korra and what it’s like to be her soulmate. I know we only recently met, but I’ve admired her for years and now that it turns out Bolin’s my soulmate, I feel like I’m an honorary member of Team Avatar. Anything you say will be strictly confidential.” Asami was still a touch hesitant, she wasn’t one to gossip, especially about people she cared about, but Opal did raise some good points and it was obvious how much the young girl looked up to Korra…

“Alright, strictly confidential.” She wasn’t going to go into any real detail about the specifics, a general discussion was going to be more than enough. So, Asami began to try and explain what it was like to have the Avatar as her soulmate. Everyone always asked about the pain, so that’s where she’d start. There was both more and less than she imagined there would be before knowing she was the Avatar’s soulmate. Growing up she often felt pain, during certain periods of time even daily and sometimes very severely, but Korra was a healer and was able to heal pretty regularly while training. Korra got hurt much more infrequently during the time they were together, but when she did it was much worse and sometimes the hardest part was the worry and concern knowing her soulmate was suffering. But there was so much more to their relationship than that, she got to see a different side to Korra that no one else did. The world saw Avatar Korra, their mutual friends saw Korra the person, but Asami got to see the private side of Korra, which was infinitely more special. Ultimately, Korra was the single most caring and selfless person Asami had ever met and she was very happy to be Korra’s soulmate.

“She’s lucky to have you as a soulmate,” Opal had placed a hand on Asami’s shoulder while directing her attention back to the Avatar who was by now getting very excited over how her metalbending was progressing, quite literally jumping with joy. “I know that sounds weird to say because everyone is matched up with who they are supposed to be with, but I think you’re really special to care about her so much. I think it would be really easy to take advantage of her position or for you to be upset with how much trouble being the Avatar’s soulmate causes, but you don’t let any of that happen.”

Asami thanked her and changed the subject. If they were going to be speaking about their love lives then they would have to become better acquainted first. Besides there were other things Asami needed to know, like what unique metals or alloys she might be able to acquire and where she could meet with other engineers if needed. She had some plans to improve her equalist glove and if Korra was going to be training then she would need to improve her equipment too. She had to be as prepared as possible to protect Korra from the people after her. Not to mention she couldn’t just let herself sit and stare and fantasize about her soulmate and the way her muscles flexed in the sun as she practiced her bending, it was best to stay productive.

They quickly fell into a routine. The mornings after breakfast were when Korra would train in metalbending, during which time Asami would tinker on her equalist glove, since finding out that Korra was in danger Asami abandoned attempting to run Future Industries from afar because she was a known member of Team Avatar and couldn’t risk anyone finding out her location. The afternoons would be spent together exploring the city or hanging out Team Avatar style. The evening is when Korra would train Opal in airbending and after dinner they would retire to their separate rooms until one of them snuck into the other’s bed. They had insisted on keeping separate rooms despite Su’s suggestion they could have a larger one they could share if they wished. It was imperative that they at least try to maintain the secrecy of their relationship and blatantly sharing a room would undermine that. Sharing a bed with Korra every night was still Asami’s favorite part of the day and snuggling into the protective embrace of her soulmate continually reassured her that nothing happened or would happen to Korra.

Asami was very pleased with herself, her plan to keep Korra safe in Zaofu had worked out better than she could have imagined. Although Lin was very displeased at first, after one particularly bad fight with her sister had turned to blows- she ended up having a change of heart and was surprisingly pleasant. Lin did make it a point to say that while she would have rather not been dragged to Zaofu, she still commended Asami on her cunning. Apparently Lin didn’t need to like how a job got done, so long as it was done well. What made this day particularly great however, was she had finally finished her modifications to her equalist glove. Part of her desire to improve it was so that she could be better equipped to fight against the people after Korra. Any advantage she could give herself was important.

She pulled the glove on as she sat back at the desk in her room and began triple checking and testing the various power levels. However, it was becoming increasingly harder to concentrate, as Korra’s sparring match was apparently getting rougher by the minute. Korra had apparently mastered metalbending enough to throw, deflect, and shape metal enough so that she was even beginning to use the metal cables iconic to the metal clan and the police of Republic City, which meant her training was beginning to become nothing but constant sparring- trial by fire was apparently the best way to learn metalbending.

Asami had grown accustomed to the bumps and bruises and even occasional hard shock that came with such sparring matches, but growing accustomed to them didn’t make it easier to deal with. She had originally opted to work in the courtyard, always keeping Korra in her field of vision even as she worked, but after only a few days of sparring matches gave up on that. Even though Korra was the one actually suffering the blows, Asami couldn’t help but wince, grimace, and otherwise flinch when the pain burst in her body and she didn’t want Korra to notice and then feel bad about her training. Korra needed to learn metalbending- if the worst happened and she was captured again, like how Tarrlok had, she would need to be able to escape. It had been almost surreal to watch, perhaps because of the intense irony, but while Asami couldn’t stop herself from reacting to the pain of Korra’s sparring injuries, Korra seemed almost completely unfazed by them- continuing to move and fight as if she hadn’t felt the blow at all.

However, the shocks of pain that attacked her body now, were both numerous enough and severe enough to warrant concern, as they were far more intense than any other match she felt. Without wasting anymore time, she began to walk swiftly toward the courtyard where Korra trained. She was almost outside and could hear the sounds of fighting, when an immense stabbing pain burst in her left arm. She started running, as concern turned to alarm- sparring or not the pain in her arm was serious. As she threw open the doors and stepped into the sunlight- she immediately saw what was wrong. Korra was down on one knee, hunched over and gripping her left arm just below the elbow. Lodged deeply into her forearm, was a thick metal blade. The blood pooling on the ground made her furious, no one should have attacked Korra in such a manner while sparring. If it weren’t for the fact that the guard who was Korra’s sparring partner had already moved a large basin of water, kept nearby for Korra to heal her injuries, next to her then she would have likely attacked them herself.

“Asami, I’m so sorry.” Korra was looking at her with concern even though she was the one injured. “I got a little careless, everyone told me I wasn’t quite ready to fight Captain Kuvira, with just metalbending and she really got the better of me.” Asami winced as Korra suddenly ripped the metal out, without any grace, opening the wound more and causing blood to stream down the rest of her arm, the pain spiking to new heights. She watched Korra grimace and grind her teeth while lowering her arm into the basin. As the water began to glow, Asami felt the pain begin to fade in minute increments.

Asami made her way over to her soulmate, crouching down next to her. The engineer was going to give both the captain and the Avatar an earful later, but right now her only concern was Korra’s welfare. “Are you going to be alright?” She began rubbing the Avatar’s back soothingly. Even though she knew it was a dumb question, it had to be asked. Asami knew that Korra would always insist she was okay and the fact that she could feel the injury and the approximate severity meant that there wouldn’t be any question about when Korra actually was alright.

“Yeah, I’ll be able to get the bleeding to stop here in a few minutes.” She flashed a grin. _A few minutes! I’ve seen you heal before only some of the worst wounds take that long to heal._ “I’m definitely going to be done with metalbending for today, though I can probably still train Opal some. I see your glove looks different. You’ve been working on it right? Tell me about it.”

Asami shook her head. Korra was always so kind. She was badly injured and she cared more about helping Opal and cheering her soulmate up than she did about herself. The fact that Korra had even noticed and asked about her glove was sweet too. Korra really was the only person who asked about her life and interests. Asami relented- focusing on Korra’s injury wasn’t going to change it and Korra always seemed genuinely happy to listen to her talk about engineering.

“Well, I was able to make it a lot sleeker and ergonomic.” Asami began, never once looking away from the glowing water that Korra had her arm submerged in. “I was actually able to get some rare metals and alloys, so that I could improve the conductors and power coils, while no longer…” She paused the pain in her arm, while lessening was still very severe and it had her very worried- Korra had been losing a lot of blood. “I made it so that it would be less painful and dangerous during a takedown because it doesn’t need to be at full power. Of course, if I were to use it all full power now, it would be much more dangerous, maybe even lethal, but Korra… your arm-” She couldn’t go on- there really was something going wrong- she could feel that the wound wasn’t really healing anymore.

“I really am sorry, by the way.” Korra had apparently noticed Asami hadn’t taken her eyes off the glowing water in the basin. “I know that this is really hurting you and that getting myself hurt in general causes you to worry. Between you and me though, I almost won- if I wasn’t restricted to just metalbending it would have been easy. I wasn’t quite fast enough with my airbending to fully deflect her counter though.” She slowly pulled her arm out of the basin, as the glowing faded; the water became a deep red color.

“Can you help me get this armband off? And then tie it around for me? I’m going to need some fresh water to finish getting this closed up.” Korra’s smile flashed across her face, trying to downplay both the pain and the gravity of the situation.

Asami immediately complied, gingerly pulling off the armband to expose the gash that still hadn’t fully closed up. She didn’t bother to tie the armband around the wound, instead she pulled a clean cloth out of her coat pocket, while stashing her glove away. Tying the cloth tightly did have the desired effect of stopping the majority of the bleeding. She helped Korra to her feet, even though the Avatar likely didn’t need any and walked with her to find more clean water. _I’m not going to let you out of my sight for the rest of the day. Knowing you- you’ll try pushing yourself._

* * *

Korra loved sparring. Not only was fighting fun, exciting, and a great way to workout, but she was also very good at it. Her initial matches against Wing or Wei were more than a little sloppy. Avatar or not and regardless of how quickly she was grasping the actual art of manipulating metal, applying the technique to a fast paced fight, full of attacks, dodges and counters was far different from attempting to shape and reshape metal. She readily agreed with Wei that trial by fire was the best way to learn metalbending, it was actually the best way to learn any form of bending in her opinion- nothing like the threat of severe injury to make you rise to the occasion and really figure out what you’re capable of.

Wing and Wei proved to be excellent teachers, allowing Korra to take the time to analyze a fight and help explain what she was doing wrong when it came to manipulating metal in general. It was thanks to both of them that she was quickly learning the intricacies of using the metal cables- Wing especially was very helpful in demonstrating how even an opponent’s cables could be manipulated if they weren’t careful. No matter how much experience she had with sparring or how quickly she was learning, Korra still couldn’t avoid every blow that came her way during her training. There were more than a few times that she had been struck particularly hard by an attack and finished training covered in bruises and some cuts.

It wasn’t until she actually broke a finger- trying to punch through a chunk of metal that Korra began bringing a large basin of water to the courtyard with her to use for healing the injuries she sustained. Although her first stop after training had always been to the bathroom to pull water from the sink to treat herself, keeping a basin of water at the ready meant that Asami had to endure less pain as Korra could even heal periodically in between rounds of sparring.

One of the most important skills, that was proving to be the most difficult was the ability to wrest control of a piece of metal away from an opponent’s control. Korra was familiar with the technique having done so a number of times with other elements- most commonly water and earth, but metal was proving to be particularly stubborn. She was able to influence it enough to redirect it or block it, like she often could when ice or stone was thrown at her, but to actually wrest control of metal under an opponent’s influence was proving to be near impossible.

Although Wing and Wei were her primary sparring partners, Korra had challenged a number of guards to fight as well. No matter how well she faired against them though, they all told her that she had a long way to go because none of them could beat Captain Kuvira and they had an ongoing bet that even once the Avatar was ready for her, that when restricted to just metalbending, Kuvira would be victorious. Even after, being able to beat them flawlessly, the guards maintained that she was still no match for Kuvira. The competition as well as her pride demanded she challenge the captain to a duel.

It became apparent from the very first exchange of attacks, that the guards were right when they said that Kuvira was much better than any of them. Kuvira’s attacks were faster, stronger and she seemed to have much more experience with real combat. Korra wasn’t about to be outdone, no matter how strong the captain was- she was determined to prove herself even if she was still in the midst of learning metalbending.

If this had been a real fight, outside of a “friendly” sparring match. Korra knew she could win easily. Kuvira’s strong stance was merciless and allowed all of her attacks and defenses to be even more solid than the metal she bent, but that same stance didn’t permit her the same mobility of movement. If Korra used a combination of airbending, earthbending and firebending, she could break that stance and subdue her thereafter, but Korra was trying to win with just metalbending. Kuvira continually varied her attacks, from using her cables in a surprising and inventive fashion for both offense and defense and by splitting meteorites in midair to suddenly change how many projectiles she launched at Korra. No matter how much combat experience she had or how skilled she was, Kuvira was clearly the better metalbender and Korra was pelted with blow after blow that she wasn’t fast enough to dodge outright or redirect with a kick or punch.

Korra was still pleased with herself, despite Kuvira’s edge in metalbending skill, the Avatar was able to give almost as good as she got. Striking Kuvira with a variety of attacks that always came from her blind spot. It was after a particularly hard blow that finally broke Kuvira’s stance that caused Korra to lose. As Kuvira stumbled backward, the Avatar rushed ahead to try and tangle her in cables, but as Kuvira fell, she ripped up a piece of metal sidewalk and launched the sharp metal straight at Korra’s chest.

If it had been any element other than metal, it wouldn’t have been much of a threat. Korra had broken many an attack and she was more than strong enough to weather a hard blow if the circumstances required it. She was still too new to metalbending for her to stop the metal and it was far too sharp to allow it to strike her. Sparring match or not, this attack was far too deadly to have been launched and Korra was going to avoid it at all costs. A burst of air and rotating her body was supposed to have been enough to allow the blade to go sailing past her, but either she miscalculated or the metal blade changed course because it was just a moment later that it embedded itself deep into her left forearm.

As the metal ripped through her flesh, the pain shot through her and Korra sank to one knee. She was quick to take a firm hold of her arm above the actual impact to try and constrict the blood flow while she tried to assess the severity of the damage. It was bad. The forearm was already a dangerous place to suffer injury- there were many important tendons and muscles there and it could prove to be a difficult area to actually stop from bleeding. She’d have to treat it right away and very carefully.

“My apologies, Avatar. I lost myself for a moment and reacted on instinct.” Kuvira spoke as she began bringing over the basin of water for Korra to begin healing herself. Korra was more than a little mad. For one that “apology” certainly didn’t sound sincere and for another sparring wasn’t intended to actually injure your opponent and Kuvira’s attack likely could have been deadly if not for her airbending. She wouldn’t have the opportunity to address the issue, however, as a loud bang from a door swinging open drew all of her attention away from Kuvira, who was already walking away.

“Asami, I’m so sorry. I got a little careless, everyone told me I wasn’t quite ready to fight Captain Kuvira, with just metalbending and she really got the better of me.” Korra wouldn’t let the pain enter her voice- Asami was clearly worried enough as it was. When she told Asami she might get injured severely during training, she hadn’t ever thought anything like this would have happened and she felt terrible for putting her soulmate through such an experience. She didn’t have time to explain any of that though. The wound was bad and she’d have to start healing it quickly. Opting to rip the metal out forcefully, made the injury and the bleeding substantially worse, but it also allowed Korra to begin healing it without needing to take into consideration how she could remove the blade.

Asami was already by her side and trying to ask how serious this was. She flashed a smile and tried to get Asami talking about her glove. Anything to reassure her soulmate and keep her distracted so Korra could focus on actually healing. The more bloody the water became the less control she had over it, so stopping the bleeding was the highest priority. Between the pain from the wound and only having one arm available to bend the water, it would be a slow and long process to heal. It was also difficult to focus on actually encouraging the various tissues to knit back together with Asami once again pulling her attention away from the task because she felt something was wrong.

There were a number of things wrong- the severity of the injury, the struggle to use increasingly bloody water to heal, having to push through the pain to focus solely on how the tissues were forming, while not letting any of her muscles twitch in the injured arm, ensuring that all of the muscles, tendons, and veins didn’t suffer any permanent damage, and trying to keep a brave face on for her soulmate were enough things on her mind already. Trying to explain any of that would only prove to worry Asami and further pull her concentration from the task at hand. Korra wasn’t mad or even annoyed with her soulmate for continually trying to ask about her welfare- it really was sweet how much she cared, but it did impede her ability to treat the wound all the same.

Pulling her arm from the basin and having Asami tie a cloth around it stopped enough of the bleeding that they could leave the courtyard. Once she got in the bathroom and could continually pull fresh clean water to use for healing meant she’d have one less thing to worry about and could instead help reassure her doting soulmate that everything really was going to be okay. It took far longer than Korra had expected to finally finish the healing process, it had been a long time since she had to heal such a deep wound in her forearm and had forgotten just how complicated and difficult it was to stop bleeding from vertical wounds in that area.

Korra gave her hand and arm a few experimental flexes and movements before deciding she was done. It was still tender and likely would be for a day or so, but she would be fine. She was about to confirm the good news with Asami, when she was tackled in a hug that actually knocked the wind out of her. Asami was squeezing with seemingly every ounce of strength she could muster and Korra held her tightly and reassuringly in return.

Korra was more than a little taken aback by her soulmate’s reaction. It wasn’t like she forgot how much it hurt Asami to see her injured, but it had been about two months since Harmonic Convergence and Korra had managed to avoid getting hurt in all of that time. They had also grown much closer over that same period, so it made sense that Asami was so bothered by something as minor as a sparring wound. Even still it made her think that there was likely more to this reaction that she wasn’t saying. _She must be worried about “my life being in danger” because of Zaheer and his criminal friends… And I haven’t picked up on just how worried she really is before now because as usual I’m too focused on myself. Why is it so hard for me to take care of her like she takes care of me?_

“Asami,” Korra spoke when she finally began to pull away, keeping them pressed together as she rubbed her soulmate’s back. “You know you don’t need to worry about me, right? I can take care of myself and I’ll always make sure to protect you too. I’ll be more careful and nothing like this will happen again.”

“I know you can take care of yourself, but there was just so much blood. I can’t help but to worry about you- you are my soulmate and I care about you, Korra.” Asami spoke in a soft voice, betraying just how much she cared and how concerned she was in a rare moment where she let her composure drop.

Korra’s chest swelled at those words. She knew Asami cared for her, but to hear her voice so thick with emotion while clinging to her made her want to do something- anything to take all of that worry away and fill her with happiness. “Well, _soulmate,_ why don’t we spend the rest of the day together? Anything you want at all. Tomorrow too- actually the next couple of days are all yours. No training, no distractions, just us.”

Asami pulled away slightly as green eyes flicked between her own. Asami’s lips found her not a moment later. “I’d like that.” And then she was pressing ever closer, sinking into Korra’s embrace.

* * *

Having successfully stopped Korra from doing any real physical activity for the rest of the day after the severe injury to her arm had been healed, Asami was very grateful that her soulmate had been the one to ask if they could head to bed early after dinner. They had originally planned on hanging out with Mako, Bolin, and Opal, but Mako continually felt more and more like he was interrupting a double date, even when they were most definitely not doing anything that approximated a date. Between Mako’s reluctance to join and Asami’s continued concern, Korra likely was simply giving in to her soulmate’s unvoiced request.

However, after actually entering the room, Asami suddenly realized the real reason that Korra had offered to go to bed early. No sooner had the door closed, then Korra’s hands had been on her, Korra’s lips hot and hungry for Asami’s own. Asami sighed in delight and allowed Korra to remove her Future Industries jacket and shirt before being carried to the bed. Although initially concerned by being lifted, considering Korra’s earlier injury, she didn’t notice the slightest twinge of pain in her own arm. Korra never broke their kiss, easily supporting her weight and as Asami was laid gently on the bed, she felt Korra’s hands shift to pull at her pants, both girls having recently found enjoyment in the feel of each other’s smooth legs. But as her pants hit the floor and she saw the look in Korra’s eyes, she couldn’t let this go on any longer, even if she wanted to.

“Korra, wait.” Asami placed a hand on the Avatar’s wrists. Korra was midway to pulling off her own shirt- her toned abs already on full display. “I don’t understand. What’s caused this change? It wasn’t that long ago that we couldn’t even do anything like this, but now you’re so- open? And don’t tell me it’s just because you’re happy we’re together, I know there’s more to it.” It was time to get some answers. She had been happy to simply enjoy Korra’s change in attitude, but it occurred too suddenly and too drastically. She needed to understand where this was coming from and why. It wasn’t right to let it go any further or go on any longer without understanding.

Korra was silent for a moment, trying to read her soulmate’s face. After seeing the seriousness and worry that was there, she sighed slightly. “I was afraid,” Korra answered hesitantly, steadfastly avoiding the green eyes staring at her. “But then I realized that I had nothing to be scared about because you’re my soulmate and I’m really happy about that.” She flashed a crooked smile and scratched her neck and while such an image was usually enough to distract Asami, it wouldn’t work this time. _You’re still not telling me something._

“What were you so afraid of?” Asami was more than a little scared to hear the answer- there were too many terrible possibilities ranging from not really wanting Asami to be her soulmate to simply a lack of attraction or any number of other horrible ideas. When Korra didn’t answer right away, Asami reached up and tilted Korra’s chin so that they were making eye contact. “Please answer me, I need to understand.” Her voice was gentle and soothing, hoping to reassure Korra that all Asami really wanted was to understand her.

Korra looked away again, suddenly looking very sad and nervous and Asami felt a surprisingly sharp ache of pain in her own heart. She did feel more than a little bad about upsetting Korra, but this was too important, she couldn’t just accept such a drastic change without understanding the reason for it. “I was afraid I wouldn’t be the Avatar anymore, if we got… intimate.” Korra gestured awkwardly before saying the word, still refusing to look at Asami.

“What does one have to do with the other?” Now she was thoroughly confused. Of all the answers she expected, hoped, and was afraid to hear- that was not one of them and it didn’t seem to make any logical sense.

Korra turned away completely so that her back was turned and she sat on the edge of the bed as she answered in a soft wavering voice, “Part of being the Avatar is opening up various chakra points. One of them deals with cosmic energy and the spiritual. You know I always struggled with that part. And finally connecting to it let me enter the Avatar state, restore people’s bending with energybending, and it was even how I was able to manifest my spirit to fight Unavaatu, but accessing cosmic energy means having no earthly attachments.” _That explains a lot actually, outside of your clothes and select few keepsakes you don’t own anything. But how does that relate to…_

“And I was afraid that if I- if we…” Korra sighed deeply, the ache in Asami’s chest threatening to make her choke, before talking quickly. “I was afraid that being with you would mean losing all the cosmic energy and then I wouldn’t be able to be strong enough to keep balance in the world, which I have to do as the Avatar. I was afraid loving you would put the world in jeopardy and I didn’t want to have to choose between the two. I thought that if we just stayed friends… But it doesn’t matter anyway because I realized that being soulmates means that our bond isn’t an earthly attachment.”

Asami froze. _Does she realize what she just said? You love me? Because I love you_. “Korra?”

“I don’t expect you to forgive me. I know I was being unfair and I didn’t want to tell you because then…” The tears in her voice were easy to hear, even as it was cut off and the pain they shared made Asami want to cry with her.

“I love you too.” Asami wrapped her arms around the strong girl and pulled her back into the bed so that Korra was on her back and she could gaze down at her. The concern and fear were easy to see in her eyes as the tears still ran down her face. “I love you, Korra.” She repeated softly, bringing one hand up to wipe away the tears from those lovely blue eyes.

“But I was being so selfish and I put myself before you and our feelings…” Her voice cracked and she tried to turn away again, unable to hold her soulmate’s gaze.

“I understand. I know how much being the Avatar means to you and I’ve felt everything you’ve done and given to protect and bring balance to the world. You’re the most selfless person I know; you’re always putting yourself in harm’s way for others. You’re a good person and a great Avatar.” Asami’s words hit their mark as the girl under her finally held her gaze and stared with wonder. It was these moments in which she always felt so sorry for her soulmate- the whole world looked to the Avatar, not seeing the tender hearted girl underneath. Korra was a victim of it too- never even considering what she might want because being the Avatar came first.

The tears that had stopped began to roll down her face again and Asami felt Korra’s arms wrap around her in a tight embrace, “I love you, Asami.” And then she was leaning up her lips hot and heavy against Asami’s own. “You’re incredible and I love you so much.” All at once, Asami found herself on her back, their positions reversed. Korra held her tightly planting kiss after fiery kiss to her lips. Thanking her for understanding, and apologizing for everything she did.

Asami was relieved, especially as Korra’s emotional pain disappeared like it had never been and everything made sense now. All of Korra’s reservations were because of how she struggled to remedy the division between her identity as the Avatar and who she was as a person. If she had felt like embracing her feelings was a threat to her role as Avatar then it was no wonder that she pulled back and reacted so strongly and the reason for the sudden change in her was because she had figured out that she didn’t have to choose one over the other. And now Korra was confessing to loving her, which was more than Asami could have dared to hope for. She had known for months now- ever since Harmonic Convergence that she loved Korra more than life itself. Somehow somewhere along the way Korra had become everything to her and to hear Korra confessing to loving her brought the greatest joy swelling in her chest.

Asami pressed back on Korra’s abs, pushing her away slightly to try and pull up her shirt. Korra responded at once and straddled Asami with a huge grin on her face. She pulled her shirt over her head and Asami was already leaning up to pull Korra back down to continue their kissing and petting, but Korra placed a strong hand on her chest, pushing her back into the bed and keeping it there. Korra’s smile widened as Asami fixed her with a confused look- why were they stopping? With her free hand, Korra reached up and undid the simple knot that secured her chest wrapping, pulling it loose and allowing it to fall off, fully exposing herself before Asami’s shocked eyes.

“I want you, tonight. If you want to…” Korra, though blushing fiercely, still looked smug as she looked down at her soulmate. Asami continued to stare, admiring the vision of strength and feminine beauty before her. She paused for only another brief moment, as her own body flushed with heat and arousal from staring up at her soulmate.

Asami reached up and began exploring the soft and supple flesh she now had access to. “Yes,” was all she managed to say, barely audible, but full of wonder, excitement and desire. Korra didn’t immediately move, instead she stayed still, biting her lip- clearly enjoying the pleasurable feelings that coursed through her under that touch, as Asami continued to play with her body. After another few moments, Asami opted to sit up and remove her own upper undergarment, allowing Korra the same view and access to her body.

Then they came back together. Passionate and hungry for each other, it wasn’t long before all clothes were shed and their bodies tangled under warm blankets. Kisses deepened and hands explored private flesh as skin rubbed against intimate skin. Sighs and moans filled the room and every fervent confession of love given while looking deep into the other’s eyes. Their love brought them to new heights of ecstasy and passion, each fully embracing the love they had for their soulmate.

Hours later Asami was lying on Korra’s chest, the blanket strewn over their naked bodies. She was exhausted, but happy- her body still tingling with pleasure. Korra continued to lazily rub her back with one hand and it still sent pulses of pleasure through her. She looked up to see blue eyes and a smiling face, looking back at her. Korra had never looked happier, her features soft and gentle, her smile blissful and relaxed, her eyes sparkling with love and peace. Asami felt much the same way, Korra loved her and that was all that mattered. She smiled and hugged herself a little closer to Korra’s warmth, the strong and steady beat of her lover’s heart lolling her into a restful sleep.

* * *

The bright sunlight hitting her face woke Korra up from peaceful sleep and pleasant dreams. She was pleased to look down and see that last night wasn’t a dream at all. The most beautiful and amazing woman- her soulmate, had accepted and understood how she had made the mistake of not putting their feelings first. More than that though, Asami had confessed to loving her, despite all of her faults and shortcomings. It was more than she ever could have dreamed of- she was certain that anyone in their right mind would hate her, but Asami _loved_ her. No words had ever sounded so amazing to hear and she had been desperate to try and express how much she loved her in return. The wondrous night of lovemaking that followed had seemed too good to be true, but here she was waking up, with Asami’s nude form clutching her own.

Normally when one of them woke up, they would begin their day, while doing their best not to wake their partner and given just how late in the day it was, that’s definitely what the Avatar should be doing. But today was going to be different. There was nothing Korra wanted more than to continue to enjoy laying in bed with her soulmate. Not food, not metalbending practice, not training Opal, and not even another world ending threat was going to make her leave. Whatever the day would bring could wait until Asami woke up and decided that they should begin the day. Besides she had promised Asami that the next few days would be devoted entirely to her and Korra was more inclined than ever to follow through on that promise.

Korra was content to simply layback, with her arms wrapped around her lover, but it was only a matter of minutes before the engineer began to wake up herself. As Asami stretched and moved she inadvertently did more than a little groping and Korra couldn’t resist the urge to tease her, “Still not tired from last night?”

Asami picked her head up and locked eyes with Korra, a warm smile on her face as the sunlight set her green eyes sparkling like never before, “You really love me?”

The Avatar pulled her gently upwards and kissed her tenderly and deeply- slowly massaging lips as she stroked Asami’s cheek with her thumb, before confirming, “I love you, Asami Sato.” Both girls smiled while blue eyes met green and more gentle and affectionate kisses were shared. Korra pulled her soulmate ever closer, wrapping her in an embrace that promised to always be there.

The moment ended far too soon, as Asami insisted that they still had to start the day, even if Korra planned on doing nothing but enjoy her company. They had missed breakfast long ago and would have to see about getting leftovers or fruit to tie them over until lunch. They would be asked more than once, what was different about them, but they would always insist that everything was the same as always. Their love confession was a bright spot of joy and was going to be cherished by only them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, let me actually discuss some of the content in this chapter. Did Korra miscalculate or did Kuvira intentionally injure her? I can honestly see this being interpreted both ways, but I am partial to the latter. I personally like to think that Kuvira’s desire to succeed at any cost is present, even if not very prominent, before she becomes “The Great Uniter.” Ultimately, you can choose either interpretation you prefer as both can make sense (but now you have my thoughts on it). Why do I keep bringing up Asami’s equalist glove (as well as the ability to stash anything relevant in her coat pockets)? The simple, short, and non-spoiler-y explanation is because it’s relevant (even if only subtly). If there is any confusion on the timeline, let me explain my rationale for saying that this is now “months” since Harmonic Convergence. There was two weeks between the end of book two and the start of book three (and a week after Harmonic Convergence before they returned to republic city), the trip to Ba Sing Se as I presented it took about three weeks in my mind, and it takes Korra two or three weeks to become proficient at metalbending (3+3+3 = 9), which is two months (more or less since everything is approximate). In regards to that steamy scene- that is about as explicit as I’m ever going to get (so sorry to disappoint anyone who was looking for more). Also, opportunities for such scenes are few and far between (hopefully not a particularly surprising revelation since we all know the narrative), so you need not worry about this story devolving into endless chapters of them in bed together. In regards to the future, I am aware that you are all anxious for all of the suffering and angst that is to come and I will simply ask for a little more patience while we get there (perhaps the experience will be improved by the suspense of having to wait?). On that note, so far I personally believe I have done a very faithful job of maintaining a consistent schedule of posting weekly. That said the next chapter might be coming a touch late. Why is the next one potentially going to be delayed? Because I’m terrible and decided to completely change it (because the new plan and vision is much better) and “changing” it in this case means largely redoing it in its entirety. What do I mean when I say “a touch late”? Hopefully only a few days delay (of course all depending on how cooperative my life and writing flow end up being), which technically is still “on schedule” since my original assurance was “approximately” weekly postings. That said, the only thing I do plan to focus on writing wise is the next chapter so that I can hopefully get it out on time anyway (and if I do succeed then this warning is for naught), but I do believe in transparency, especially for those of you who are anxiously looking forward to each next chapter. If by some chance, the worst happens, then the next chapter may be delayed even longer than I would like, but even if that comes to pass I 110% PROMISE that there is more coming. I honestly have many more chapters already finished and am always working on more; the potential delay should in no way imply that this work is going to be abandoned. So, one last time, IF the next chapter doesn’t come out on time, rest assured that there is more coming. Finally, I do thank you all for reading and hope you enjoyed. As always I welcome any/all comments and constructive criticism.


	8. Chapter 45: Soulmate Double Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter has more dialogue in it than I typically like, but it is what it is. Hopefully this was worth the wait and I hope you enjoy!

“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this. Are you sure I look okay?” Korra asked the same question she had been asking for the better part of an hour. The pout on her face, while adorable, revealed just how insecure the Avatar could be. Bolin had insisted that Korra and Asami had to go on their first soulmate double date with him, now that he found Opal. While he apparently informed Korra of his intentions, it had been news to Asami when he confronted her that morning.

Even if her soulmate was a bit reluctant to go, the opportunity for another date, while still hiding in Zaofu and after their love confession was too exciting for Asami to pass up. Even if a double date was almost guaranteed to be less romantic, any _real_ date with Korra was worth pursuing. They were due to meet Bolin and Opal for a fancy dinner prepared in a private dining room by Su’s chef. Although it would have been a touch more special if they could have actually gone out to eat- the need to keep their soulmate bond a secret meant that such an option didn’t exist.

Given that this was still supposed to be a formal dinner, Asami had insisted that they dress for such and had been pleased with herself for having packed formal wear for herself and for the Avatar. Korra traveled very light, a couple changes of clothes, all of which were minor variations of her usual attire, her winter coat and a few extra armbands, was all she packed for a lengthy trip to search for airbenders, while Asami had packed no less than three trunks of clothes and supplies (which she thought was a considerable improvement from the six she moved into Air Temple Island with).

Korra had been very conflicted over whether she was happy or upset with the turn of events. She wasn’t overly excited at the idea of a double date, saying she’d rather be alone with Asami and she seemed more than a bit annoyed that her soulmate actually had produced formal attire for her to wear. The part that she was most hung up on though, was that Asami had insisted on doing her makeup. After seeing her after their spa date, Asami was certain that she could duplicate the same effect and had insisted on doing so. Even through all of her complaints that she didn’t want her face painted and that the various brushes tickled, Korra had dutifully sat still and complied while Asami set to work.

From the moment she finished however, Korra had been staring in one of Asami’s pocket mirrors and periodically asking if she looked okay. It would have been amusing if it hadn’t been going on for so long. Really, Korra was brave enough to fight dark spirits, but a nervous wreck about wearing makeup in front of her friends on a date?

Finishing the final touches on her own outfit, Asami turned to her, plucked the mirror out of her hands and looked her in the eyes, “You look amazing. Really, you’re stunning. Now stop worrying- this is supposed to be a fun night.” As far as she was concerned her soulmate truly did look beautiful, dressed in her usual blue Water Tribe dress that was brought out for formal occasions, her usual updo was foregone in favor of letting Korra’s hair down and Asami had surprised even herself with how well she had done the Avatar’s makeup- she practically glowed.

Korra had also been a bit displeased with the change to her hairstyle, but had conceded her position once reminded of her promise to do anything her soulmate wanted. Korra’s natural hair was long and beautiful in the way that it could cascade down her back- it flowed and easily could have outdone any of Asami’s own infamous hair flips, not that anyone was actually aware of such a fact. Korra never wore her hair down because it got in her way while fighting, but this was a formal date night and Asami was going to take the opportunity to enjoy styling Korra’s appearance and playing with her hair regardless of her soulmate’s disposition on such matters.

Asami had opted to pack and consequently wear one of her favorite red dresses. It was a dark red gown that hugged her curves and was low cut enough to draw the eye, without being risqué. Her gold jewelry featured jade to compliment her eyes. She did opt to wear stylish but comfortable flats, for one she was already a fair bit taller than Korra, who adamantly refused to even consider heels (which was not a battle Asami could win, even if she tried) and for another Korra had already expressed her displeasure with the pain in her feet on account of Asami’s more fashionable heels. Apparently, during Tarrlok’s gala in Korra’s honor, she continually felt like she was walking on pins and needles and given how much Asami’s own feet hurt that night, she was quick to agree with the request for more sensible footwear.

As they walked into the private dining room hand in hand, they were met with Bolin and Opal who were already seated at the table. Bolin was decked out in an exceptionally fancy brown and green suit that Varrick had no doubt given to him. For some reason or other the business tycoon had taken a genuine liking to him that extended well past the Nuktuk movers. Opal was seated on his right dressed in a simple but elegant green dress that perfectly matched her eyes.

As they seated themselves at the table, Asami made to sit across from Bolin, knowing full well that Opal would appreciate being closer to her soulmate- given how much she admired the Avatar. To her surprise, Korra opted to pull her chair out so that she could sit. Having never really attended any sort of formal event with Korra as her date, the display of proper etiquette was touching and unexpected. The soft candlelight that lit the room sparkled off the tableware and shone brightly in everyone’s eyes.

“You look amazing Avatar Korra. So do you, Asami.” Opal spoke as Korra took her seat across from her, a blush on her face as she tried and failed not to stare at the Avatar. Korra stuttered her thanks while blushing fiercely herself and Asami bit her lip to avoid from chuckling at how easily Korra was flustered.

“So, isn’t this great?” Bolin was already diving into his excitement, waving a fork around even though no food had yet been served. “I’m having dinner with my soulmate, while out with two of my best friends, who happen to be soulmates. It’s almost like a party- but better! I just wish Mako and his soulmate could be here, but we don’t even know who his soulmate is…”

“I can’t believe I’m really on a double date with the Avatar.” Opal continued to stare at Korra, clearly still overwhelmed with really being in her presence. Asami couldn’t possibly imagine for what reason that could be, Korra had spent any number of hours teaching Opal airbending, yet here she was still completely enamored by her. “Although, I truthfully would have preferred my first date to be with just my soulmate.” Opal accompanied her words with a playful elbow, but still didn’t look away from Korra.

“Bolin, you haven’t taken Opal out on a date before tonight?” Asami asked incredulous. They had been in Zaofu for a few weeks now and they had discovered their soulmate bond pretty early on and spent practically everyday all day together. Asami shifted her eyes to Opal, to try and gauge her reaction, when she took in the sight of Korra, who sat hunched forward- clearly self conscious under Opal’s stare and became the absolute picture of beauty as she unconsciously flipped her hair over her shoulder to keep it out of her way.

“No, not really,” Bolin sighed and tossed an apologetic look at Opal, who was succeeding in making the Avatar fidget by continuing to stare. “I didn’t want to move too fast and ruin things. I almost did that by trying to act like I knew what I was doing and then I remembered you guys saying that it was better to start off as friends first…”

“Okay! Why are you always staring at me?” Korra spoke while raising her voice well above a conversational level, but still without actually shouting. She accompanied her words with a very confrontational stare of her own that demanded an answer.

“Avatar Korra, please forgive-” Opal began to apologize peeling her eyes from the Avatar to stare into her lap.

“And why do you always call me ‘Avatar Korra’?” Korra tensed leaning forward, very clearly on edge.

Asami was about to speak up, but Bolin beat her to it, “Korra, you can’t talk to Opal like that. That was really hurtful.” A quick look at his dejected soulmate left no question that she was more than a little upset, likely more than enough for Bolin to feel it himself.

“I’m sorry, alright? But seriously, why is she always staring at me like I have three heads?” Korra was substantially frustrated, this outburst probably long in the making. The penetrating stare Opal had had her fixed with was most likely the real cause- pushing uncomfortably at Korra’s insecurities. Asami almost felt guilty about that, maybe if she hadn’t done Korra’s makeup or let her hair down then Opal might not have stared, which likely would have prevented this outburst. All the same, Korra was a genuine vision and there wasn’t any reason for Asami to believe that such a fact would have been cause for conflict.

“She really admires you- every time we speak all she wants to hear about is you. What you’re like, what you like, what it’s like to be your soulmate.” Asami placed a hand on her soulmate’s thigh under the table, which had the desired effect of drawing her attention and further dispelling her frustration.

“It’s true. After each of your training sessions, I have to listen to her go on and on about how amazing it is to be trained by the Avatar.” A moment of silence passed as the color drained from Bolin’s face and his eyes grew wide. “Not that you aren’t amazing… and not that I don’t like listening to you.” Bolin kept tossing nervous glances between Korra and Opal realizing too late that he had inadvertently put his foot in his mouth.

“I’m sorry Avatar Korra.” Opal spoke, while continuing to stare into her lap. “Ever since I found out that the Avatar was a girl around my age, I’ve dreamed of meeting you. And now that I have, you’re even more amazing than I imagined- so strong and brave and beautiful. I can’t help but to admire you.” Asami could understand Opal’s mentality up to a point. It wasn’t hard for her to remember how excited she was about meeting Korra at her gala and how much she admired the idea a girl as young as she was could also be the world’s symbol of strength and balance. At the same time though, once she met and actually talked to her, Korra proved to be very down to Earth. She didn’t speak or act very different from anyone else. Avatar or not- Korra was human too and it didn’t take being her soulmate for Asami to see that.

“I didn’t realize it was such a big deal. None of our friends ever really cared that I’m the Avatar.” Korra looked from Bolin to Asami. “I mean Mako practically gave me the brush off, you got over it almost immediately and we…” Korra took hold of the hand on her thigh. “Well, you never really made that big a thing out of it.” Korra’s voice softened considerably as she turned her gaze to look at Asami and she couldn’t stop a brilliant smile from spreading across her face as those bright blue eyes met her own.

“Opal, there’s nothing wrong with admiring her, but Korra’s just a person. Just treat her the same way you would anyone else on a double date.” Asami turned her warm smile to the still dejected girl across from her, but Opal only continued to stare into her lap.

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell her all this time!” Bolin, as animated as ever draped an arm across Opal’s shoulders, squeezing gently- prompting her to look up at Korra once again.

“I’m sorry I snapped at you. But I promise you don’t need to treat me any differently just because I’m the Avatar- none of my other friends do.” Korra spoke while flashing her signature lopsided grin that succeeded in deepening Opal’s blush, which had never left her cheeks, even further. Korra further accompanied her words with an unconscious flick of her hair to keep it behind her shoulders and Asami had to bite her lip in order to resist the urge to immediately begin playing with it. How was it fair that in addition to all of her other amazing qualities, Korra also had better hair than her?

“We’re friends? I’m friends with the Avatar? Thank you- I’m deeply honored Avatar Korra.” Opal finished her statement by bowing her head in Korra’s direction, eliciting a groan from everyone else present.

Asami spoke up again, hoping to try and get the point across before her soulmate really snapped at Opal, “Try to think of Korra as my date and soulmate rather than the Avatar. We’re all friends- so you don’t need to use her title or anything like that. Just talk to her like a person, no filter or reverence required.”

“But she’s deserving of so much respect and-” Opal was cut off by her own soulmate this time.

“Yeah, yeah, Korra’s special and an amazing bender, but that never stopped me from knocking her around during pro-bending practice.” Bolin smiled extra wide while pulling her a little closer to him. “Seriously, anything you want to know- just ask. Korra is surprisingly normal when she isn’t doing her whole ‘Avatar saves the world’ thing.” He accompanied his words with air quotes, continuing to hold his fork in one hand.

Opal looked like she was about to respond, when Su’s chef burst into the room, explaining the unique and elegant dishes he had prepared for them. When she had made arrangements with Bolin earlier that day, Asami had placed orders for Korra as well as herself. Given that they were on a double date, the chef had opted to prepare food for each of them “four ways” as the theme for the evening. Consequently, Korra was presented with “seafood four ways” featuring elephant koi, octopus, giant sea crab, and seal steaks. Asami was presented with one variation of “meat four ways” featuring chicken, duck, platypus bear, and dumplings. Bolin received the other variation of “meat four ways” featuring arctic hen, hippo-ox, komodo rhino, and saber-tooth moose lion. Surprisingly, Opal was presented with “kale four ways” featuring kale wraps, kale curry, kale salad, and even kale noodles. Asami had ordered seafood for Korra, knowing her preference for it and had opted to order meat generically because Su’s chef insisted on having creative freedom. She had imagined Bolin had done much the same, but Opal’s dinner definitely caught her by surprise and while she did her utmost not to think twice about it, especially given that Bolin didn’t seem phased by it, Korra didn’t have the same tact- staring in open mouthed bewilderment that Opal had been presented with four kale- not vegetable, but kale themed dishes.

“Avatar Korra, in all your travelers, have you never seen a kale dinner before?” Opal’s joke came as a shock to everyone at the table, given the conversation that had been transpiring just before dinner had been served. There was only the slightest hesitation in the room before everyone burst out laughing.

They wasted no more time before digging into the meal. Asami had attended any number of formal events that required perfect manners and was well accustomed to restraining the desire to shovel particularly delicious food into her mouth. Opal clearly had the same restraint- even if kale themed dishes weren’t likely to most people’s taste and Bolin was making a concerted effort to do the same. Korra, however, ate with the same exuberance and gusto that she usually did and while the Avatar did in fact take some consideration for how people might perceive her for “official” events, apparently a double date did not make that very short list. Bolin eventually cracked a joke about whether Asami had been starving her and ultimately caused Korra to choke.

It definitely was not funny, especially because Asami could feel the significant discomfort from having food lodged in Korra’s throat before she finally managed to choke it out, but Bolin’s running monologue about how this was “typical Korra behavior” since she ate too much and too quickly to concern herself with actually chewing her food, did get a good natured laugh out of everyone. Even Korra shared in the mirth, once she finally recovered and that single event proved to be the pivotal humanizing moment Opal needed as Asami could tell thereafter that Opal was no longer under the impression that Korra was just the Avatar. After all, how could anyone look at the Avatar the same way after watching her practically die to a piece of giant sea crab? Bolin referenced the idea best: dark spirits, terrorist organizations, bandits? No problem. Piece of food? Almost more than she could handle. Bolin’s delivery was, as always, far more amusing than his actual jokes.

As they all continued to eat the lavish and delectable dinner presented to them, many laughs were shared and stories retold. More than once, Asami felt a little bad for Opal, there were any number of Team Avatar adventures that they enjoyed retelling that Opal had not been present for and Asami worried that she might start to feel left out. However, every time she was about to switch topics so that Opal could join in on the conversation she would press for another story about their experiences.

“Was it weird finding out your soulmate was another girl?” Opal asked while tossing glances between the two girls across from her. Her question came out of nowhere, suddenly shifting the entirety of the focus onto Asami and her soulmate. Same sex soulmate bonds weren’t necessarily uncommon, but with the majority of soulmate bonds being between a man and woman, some people did struggle to adjust to the idea of their own soulmate being the same gender as them. In a lot of ways Asami was glad to hear Opal’s question- it meant that she really was beginning to stop treating Korra like she wasn’t a normal person, but this definitely crossed into some very personal territory. One glance at Korra was all it took for her to realize that Korra was going to defer to her judgment on whether or not this was something that they were going to discuss.

“Well, a lot of schoolgirls used to joke that I’d end up marrying a gorgeous Water Tribe boy with rippling abs and strong arms, who would sweep me off my feet and show me the world. I guess they ended up being mostly right.” Asami grinned widely at Korra’s deepening blush- honestly it was precious how she always seemed overcome by simply receiving compliments. “I was surprised that Korra was my soulmate for a lot of reasons and I never really pictured my soulmate as a girl, but when I met Korra- we just… clicked.” It wasn’t a perfectly honest answer. There had been more than a little tension between them after Korra had rightly accused her father of being an equalist, but of course that had nothing to do with Korra’s gender and after the truth was revealed and they began working together and spending time together they fell into synch with one another like they were meant for each other (which being soulmates they were).

“Rippling abs and strong arms? I know Korra’s buff, but come on! I’m Nuktuk!” Bolin began flexing his arms and smiling at himself.

“I don’t think Asami was suggesting you weren’t strong; I know you’re very buff too.” Opal smiled and was already pulling Bolin’s arms down. They got each other better than Asami could ever have predicted, it seemed like they could have been dating for years with how well Opal managed her soulmate. This wasn’t the first and likely wouldn’t be the last time that Opal had reeled Bolin back in, while still inflating his ego, which kept a giant smile on his face.

“You do realize I’m stronger than you, right Bolin?” Korra’s eyes had a touch of fierceness to them, ever eager to rise to a challenge.

“When it comes to bending obviously- you’re the Avatar. But in terms of raw strength, I don’t know…” Bolin continued to tease while patting his thick biceps.

“Then let’s have a competition to decide- right now!” Korra never failed to take the bait when their friends goaded her into trying to prove herself, likely because it was one of the only ways, she could combat her own self-doubt. Already she was tensed and about ready to stand up from the table to begin some demonstration of her strength. Bolin was obviously joking in good fun, but Korra still felt compelled to prove how strong she was. Asami shook her head and put a gentle hand on her shoulder.

“Easy there, we’re all friends and Bolin’s just teasing. If you really need to settle the debate you can have a competition _after_ dinner.” Korra responded to her touch automatically and relaxed back into her chair even despite Bolin’s wide smirk and waggling eyebrows.

“What about you, Korra,” Opal began almost hesitantly addressing Korra for the first time without her title. “Were you surprised your soulmate was another girl?”

“Honestly? I never put too much thought into who my soulmate was. I mean, I thought about them a lot, but I guess I never tried picturing them in my mind. I always felt so guilty about getting hurt all the time that I was convinced they would end up hating me before I even met them.” Korra was looking down at her lap while fiddling with her napkin. Asami shifted her hand from Korra’s shoulder to lace their fingers together reassuringly rubbing her thumb in gentle soothing circles, smiling genuinely as tender blue eyes met her own. She could never hate Korra, no matter how much pain they shared.

“Okay, as sweet and sad and mushy as that was, you didn’t answer Opal’s question.” Bolin immediately challenged.

“What? Yes, I did!” For all the intensity in her raised voice, Korra remained relaxed in her chair. “I just said that I never really thought about who my soulmate was- it didn’t matter to me whether Asami was a girl or boy. I didn’t have any preconceived ideas about who or how I was supposed to love.”

Opal practically melted and Bolin almost squealed as he spoke, “Did I hear that right? You _love_ Asami?”

“I…” Korra stiffened. They hadn’t planned on making another awkward announcement that they were in love. Instead it was going to be something that they shared and enjoyed quietly by themselves. That didn’t necessarily mean it was a secret either though. Asami hesitated for only the slightest moment before continuing to rub gentle circles on Korra’s hand with her thumb- a silent way to tell her it was okay to tell them. Korra’s face softened as she gazed back at Asami. “Yes, I love her very much.”

Asami could have died happily at that moment. It wasn’t often Korra displayed her affection publicly and even privately she didn’t start professing cheesy or romantic lines. Korra spoke volumes without ever saying a word, she spoke when her eyes softened while looking at her soulmate, when she cared more about Asami’s pain than her own, when her impossibly strong hands capable of unleashing raw destructive power became the instrument for the softest and most tender caress and she spoke loudest when she revealed herself entirely- letting all of the barriers she built fall away to reveal the sensitive girl who struggled with fear and self-doubt. The way she spoke those last words, however, with so much honesty and conviction, even as her voice floated softly through the air said it all. There was one undeniable truth in her world, even if everything else faded away, Korra loved her.

“I love you too.” Asami couldn’t stop herself and she didn’t want to. She leaned toward Korra who met her halfway and their eyes closed as lips met. Tender and slow, yet passionate and hungry- a kiss that at once burned with all the excitement and desire of young love with all the familiarity and stability that came from being together after a lifetime. They weren’t two separate people, they were a singular being- each the other’s missing half.

“Wow- is that what we have to look forward to?” Bolin’s question didn’t interrupt them at all. The only thing that presently existed in the world was the feeling of Korra’s lips massaging her own.

“Stop it! Let them have their moment!” Opal was chastising her own soulmate, but that still wasn’t enough to stop the kiss Asami was sharing with Korra. In fact the longer that Asami drank in the pure pleasure of her soulmate’s kiss, the more certain she became that it could sustain her life indefinitely.

“Hey, I’m just saying that I’ve watched them pretend to be friends for a long time and even once they were officially dating they never really did anything in front of anyone.” Korra finally broke the kiss to fix Bolin with a very threatening glare, likely remembering all the reasons she had wanted this date to be with just her soulmate. Asami was more than a little disappointed that they had been interrupted, but couldn’t very well pull Korra back in for another long and deep kiss during the middle of dinner. “So, Asami, what’s it like to be loved by the most powerful person in the world?”

“It feels amazing to be loved by _Korra._ But I swear, if you start bringing this up and teasing us about it, I will find increasingly creative and diabolical ways to embarrass you in front of Opal.” Even if she was only mostly teasing, everyone shared a good-natured laugh as Bolin promised not to tease them, stating that he didn’t need any help in embarrassing himself as it was.

The conversation swung into much more neutral ground as they finished dinner and then a decadent desert before setting off for an evening stroll at Opal’s suggestion. No sooner had they stepped outside then Asami suddenly found herself being swept off her feet- one of Korra’s arms supporting her back and the other under her knees. Korra held her gently, if tightly to her chest and placed a teasingly short kiss to her lips.

“While I do love being in your arms- why are you carrying me?” She couldn’t resist grinning like a fool- reaching up to wrap one arm around the Avatar’s shoulders and letting the other begin combing through Korra’s long soft hair. Ever since first meeting her, Asami had wondered what it would be like to play with Korra’s hair and even now having enjoyed the sensation countless times, it was as wonderful as she imagined. It was impossibly soft and flowed like water- and the worst part was Korra didn’t even have to try to maintain such a splendid combination.

Korra strode forward, seemingly without the slightest bit of strain as she spoke loudly, “Bolin’s presently losing the strength contest you suggested…” Korra’s smile grew mischievous, dropping her voice for only Asami to hear, “And I know _just_ how much you like it when I show off for you.” Asami flushed at that, even as Bolin looked back and upon seeing them immediately grabbed Opal up in his arms because for all his good-natured teasing he just couldn’t let himself be outdone.

“So, how long are we doing this for? Should we be counting how many times we can lift them above our head? Are we sure that this is even an equal competition?” Bolin’s hurried questions all went unanswered as Korra simply shrugged- exaggerating the movement to lift Asami far higher than necessary to both kiss her cheek and to emphasize the fact that she was easily supporting her weight. Asami shared a good-natured laugh with Opal as they both feigned annoyance with their soulmates for having to be so competitive as to not permit them to walk. She couldn’t be sure what was running through Opal’s mind, but Asami always marveled at the enigma that was Korra. Surely, carrying her wasn’t as easy as Korra made it look and there was no way she was actually _this_ competitive… and yet, Korra wasn’t about to put her down unless there was a very good reason.

Asami should have known because it was obvious in hindsight, but she had still been surprised when the “how long can you hold your soulmate” competition suddenly had the added element of racing all over Su’s massive estate. Korra easily kept at least one step ahead of Bolin no matter how many times the finish line was changed or how many obstacles they were “required” to jump over. Even her playful attempt at sabotage by beginning to make out with Korra didn’t impede her ability to outrace their friends- if anything having her lips locked around Korra’s only encouraged her to run faster. Asami was laughing in giddy amusement and found herself forsaking the view of the lovely scenery in favor of staring at the way Korra’s hair flowed behind her, completely unrestricted as she ran. That image would forever be burned in her mind- Korra with a giant open mouthed grin, her incredibly bright blue eyes fixed ahead and her long soft brown hair streaming out behind her as she ran- it was just like something out of a children’s fairy tale.

They eventually lost Bolin and Opal completely and it was only after another minute of running that Korra finally slowed and then stopped to set Asami gently on the ground. They were near the edge of a cliff over which they could easily look out over the rest of the city. Asami sighed contentedly- this was proving to be a largely enjoyable evening, even if Korra had concocted a not so subtle way to secure some alone time for them. She wouldn’t give her soulmate a hard time about that though- especially not as Korra wrapped strong arms around her and pressed herself flush against Asami’s back. This was simply nice. Peaceful. Dinner had been fun, but now she had a lovely view while being held by her soulmate. Fun was fun, but fun had tuned into peaceful contentment and with Korra present- there was nothing better. 

* * *

All told Korra wasn’t displeased with how this night had progressed. She likely would never get used to the feeling of wearing makeup, but catching Asami’s gaze linger almost every time that she looked over definitely made her consider being more open to actually wearing it- for select few very special occasions. Korra also wasn’t used to wearing her hair completely down, usually including at least the wolftails on either side of her face, but watching Asami bite her lip or take a sudden inhale each time she inadvertently flipped her hair to keep it out the way made it somewhat enjoyable (and of course she threw in a few unnecessary hair flips over the course of dinner after realizing Asami’s reaction).

It was all of those little things that made Korra feel special every moment she was with Asami. For all that her brilliant soulmate complimented the Avatar’s beauty, it was the way Asami reacted to her that actually made Korra feel beautiful. And of all the feelings and perceptions she had of herself- beautiful was not one to come to mind (not that she perceived herself as homely, but the Avatar’s most defining characteristic was definitely _not_ her appearance). Then of course there was everything else- Asami was kind and genuine, but it was so much softer when she interacted with Korra. Asami had no expectations of her- in the best way possible. Korra didn’t need to be strong or spiritually enlightened or a master bender or symbol of balance or a voice of reason or anything at all. She could just talk and act however she wanted to without any thought or filter, she often didn’t have a filter as it was and she didn’t change the way she conducted herself often, but with Asami there was no judgment. Asami was a refuge of comfort and support- a wholesome love that touched her deeply and profoundly.

All of that was precisely why Korra would have much preferred to be alone rather than on a double date, even if the other couple present were good friends. If they had been alone, Korra wouldn’t have had to restrain herself and could have enjoyed pulling Asami into her lap to hold her close as they enjoyed dinner and they wouldn’t have been interrupted when all she wanted to do was pour every ounce of her being into the most amazing kiss ever. Even still, it was a nice time and retelling Avatar mission stories was fun, now that the danger had been overcome- there was only glory and excitement over their exploits- rather than the struggle and hardship that had been present originally.

Korra would also have to admit that it was fun to see Bolin and Opal under a romantic setting- watching them exchange smoldering gazes or practically jump apart when they realized they were getting too close was quite amusing, especially since she had been in a similar situation not so long ago. Of course- now it was actually painful to _not_ have that closeness or contact with Asami and somewhere in the back of her mind, Korra wondered how she would actually function without the presence of her soulmate- spending almost every minute of every day for the past couple months made the very notion seem unbearable.

Bolin and Opal definitely made a good couple, Bolin’s emotional maturity had grown in leaps and bounds and Opal continually encouraged his ideas and excitement, without letting him get carried away. Bolin in turn helped Opal find her voice and clearly helped her realize that her own desires were just as valid as anyone else’s, which is why it was unsurprising to hear that Opal did indeed have an interest in training with Tenzin, but hadn’t broached the subject with her mother as of yet.

As nice as dinner had been, Korra seized the opportunity for a “romantic stroll” to become the means through which she could secure alone time with her own soulmate. She had uncharacteristically been perfectly content to let the challenge to her strength drop, but ended up using it as an excuse to begin a race she knew she could win, despite being in a dress and having her hair down. And winning that race, while carrying Asami enabled her to finally have some much desired alone time. Korra sighed contentedly- finally having Asami wrapped in her arms as they gazed off the cliff side was reward enough for the effort.

“I wish we could see the stars.” Asami spoke while gazing out at the rather limited view they had access to from the courtyard of Su’s estate. The metal arms encasing the city provided excellent protection from a variety of dangers, but had the unfortunate consequence of blocking out the view.

Korra had promised Asami that she would dedicate a few days exclusively to her and although it had seemed like a more grand gesture at the time, she was slowly realizing how little she was actually giving to Asami, especially in comparison to how much Asami gave her. “I can’t do anything about the stars, but…” Korra took a step back from her soulmate enjoying the puzzled, yet excited look on her face as she began waving her hands in the air, seemingly without effect. It was a delicate and precise combination of water and airbending, but when done properly crystal clear prisms of ice, each no bigger than a snowflake could be made to swirl in the air. With just enough fire in hand to produce a soft, yet relatively steady light the sky above their heads became a twinkling lightshow. Each prism captured the fire’s warm glow becoming a soft orange, like dozens of paper lanterns drifting in the night.

All things considered it was a very small gesture. It certainly didn’t replace the stars, it didn’t require any forethought or planning, it wasn’t even very personal, but even still Asami looked up and marveled at the display she put on. Asami deserved so much more. She deserved to know that Korra really did love her and would do anything in the world for her. Korra wasn’t the best with words, but Asami deserved romantic lines and love confessions and be made to feel just how much she was appreciated and loved. She let Asami continue to marvel at her light show for several more minutes before she finally thought of something to say.

“Bolin was wrong earlier,” Korra’s voice grabbed all of Asami’s attention and she stopped bending the twinkling pieces of ice through the air to gaze deeply into the jade green eyes of her soulmate. “About you being loved by the most powerful person in the world. I might be the strongest, but you’re the most powerful.”

“How do you figure that?” Asami’s tone was teasing and the smile that spread wide across her face already indicated she was eagerly awaiting the cheesy line Korra had in store.

“Because while I can control all of the elements, you control the Avatar.” Korra knew it was a terrible line, but hoped it still sounded as romantic as she meant it. It was true anyway, Korra would do anything her soulmate asked of her no matter what it was. If there ever came a time that she was forced to choose between the world and Asami, it would always be Asami, but the most amazing thing about her soulmate was that even knowing that, Asami would never even ask her to choose.

Asami met her with a hot kiss, before pulling away, “You do know that there is so much more to you than being the Avatar- right?”

The seriousness in her expression demanded an answer and it caught Korra more than a little off guard. This was supposed to be a fun date night, but Asami clearly wanted a confirmation to her question. Korra shrugged, “I mean, not really? I can’t stop being the Avatar and decide to be something else. Even if I ignore my duty to the world, I’m still the Avatar and the Avatar is needed to maintain balance. That’s all I am.” It was a simple answer to a simple question. Who was she? The Avatar. Even still a sharp pain stabbed into her heart as she spoke and looking over into Asami’s eyes revealed they were glistening with tears that were threatening to spill over.

“Korra…” Even if she hadn’t felt it, Korra could have recognized the pain in her soulmate’s voice as easily as her own reflection.

“It’s okay Asami.” Korra cut her off before she could even start. They had occasionally touched on just this topic a handful of times in the past and apparently Korra needed to do her best to really explain herself in order to ease Asami’s heartache. She brought both hands in front of her and produced a small flame in one and a small swirling vortex of air in the other. “I’m the only person who can do this. I’m responsible for bringing balance to the world and all I ever really wanted was to be the Avatar. You’ve made me realize that there is so much more to life than simply my duty and it feels amazing to love and be loved by you.”

She stopped the bending in her hands in favor of clasping Asami’s own, gently pulling her closer. “But I’m not like you- you can be anything, an engineer, a business leader, a pilot- you can go anywhere and choose anything you want in life. I can’t. I’m the Avatar and everything about that has to come first. I’m okay with that. I don’t need to be anything else because I am nothing else.” Every word she spoke was true and honest. All she had ever wanted to be as long as she could remember was to be the Avatar, or more specifically a good Avatar. Her entire life and existence was centered solely on that one fact. Asami had come as the most pleasant of surprises, however. Asami was the most amazing soulmate- making her feel so much like a normal person even while supporting all of her Avatar missions. It was Asami who had opened her eyes and heart to realize that there was more to enjoy out of life than simply fulfillment from performing her Avatar duties.

However, the ache in her heart only grew and Asami looked like she was on the verge of breaking down entirely. Korra pulled her in for a long and deep kiss, holding her tightly in her arms knowing just how much comfort being held brought to her soulmate. “I can feel how hurt you are by this, but don’t be.” Another peck on the lips and a flashing smile made the corners of Asami’s lips tweak upwards even though the ache didn’t abate in the slightest. “Really examine the pain we’re sharing. It’s only your hurt that we’re feeling- I’m really okay with it. In a way I’m luckier than most people. Look at Bolin, who doesn’t know what he wants to do with his life. Not only do I have a clear direction, but I also _want_ to be the Avatar.” It was easy enough for Korra to imagine where Asami’s feelings came from- being the Avatar was a difficult life in many regards. The physical, spiritual and social demands were challenging on their own- the duties, obligations and responsibilities were another monster to contend with as well. None of that gave Korra the slightest pause- she truly did welcome everything that came with the role. She _loved_ being the Avatar and Asami shouldn’t feel bad about her hardships. It was Korra that should feel bad about the impact they had on Asami.

“Korra, it’s not about that. You are so much more than just a symbol of peace and balance. I love _you,_ Korra. Not just Avatar Korra.” A few stray tears finally managed to slip from her eyes and Korra held her a little tighter. Asami needed reassurance and comfort and all Korra wanted was to give her that and take her pain away. But how could she? Yes, she was Korra, but she was the reincarnation of the Avatar. They weren’t two separate identities, Avatar wasn’t just a title- it was who she was. It was how she was raised. It was how she interacted with the world. As far as she was concerned ‘Avatar Korra’ was almost a redundant phrase- each word essentially synonymous with the other. And how had they gotten to this point? All she had meant to do was try and express how much Asami meant to her and that had somehow backfired in the worst way possible- why did words have to be so hard? And why was she always such a bad soulmate?

“Did you know one of the things I was most afraid of growing up was being alone?” Korra gently pushed Asami’s head to rest on her shoulder while running a hand through her hair, continuing to keep her other arm tightly wrapped around her. “I wasn’t afraid of being by myself, but living my whole life alone. I grew close to a handful of my teachers or sparring partners, but once they had fulfilled their duty to the Avatar they would leave and I’d never see or hear from them again. Katara and Tenzin are pretty much the only exceptions.” She sighed softly, thinking back on how lonely her upbringing really was now that she had friends she loved to be around. She had plenty of fun training and sparring, but none of her teachers could truly be considered friends.

“I was also completely convinced that you wouldn’t want to be a part of my life and that you’d hate me. I think most people would on account of all of the pain I go through- no one should have to suffer with me. I really hate causing you pain. I love you so much and just want you to be happy always.” Asami began to speak up, likely to try and reassure her and to go back to her previous statement about how Korra was more than just the Avatar to her, but Korra continued speaking over her soulmate so that she could make her point. “I’m telling you this because I want you to know how comforting it is to know you and have you in my life. There aren’t many people who have come into my life for any reason other than a responsibility to the Avatar and even fewer people who stayed once that responsibility was fulfilled. But here you are, loving me in spite of everything I put you through. And because of you, I’m no longer afraid- I’ll never be alone because of you. I’m sorry that I don’t see myself as anything other than the Avatar, but that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate how much it means for you to love me as a person.”

Asami raised her head from its resting place on her shoulder a confusing mixture of pain and love on her face. “I’ll just have to work twice as hard to make you see what I see.” There was just a glint of challenge in the jade green eyes and Korra was positive Asami might just succeed, but more importantly Korra needed to capitalize on the slight change in tone.

“I’m sure you will, but for now,” Korra reached out and hoisted her soulmate off the ground tossing her high in the air before gently catching her. “This is supposed to be a fun night and I haven’t given you a proper ride, yet.”

“You gave me a ‘proper ride’ just last night.” Korra choked at the lewd joke and almost missed jumping on the air scooter she had produced. Asami was quite pleased with herself apparently laughing brightly and wrapping her legs around the Avatar’s waist to help support herself. Korra raced them around the courtyard at blistering speeds- doing her best to make them “fly.” Flying through the air on a glider was always a paradoxical mix of exhilaration and relaxation and Korra had long pondered how she might share the experience with Asami. Having had no success in figuring out a method to do just that, doing her best to keep them aloft atop the air scooter was the next best thing, at least until a better idea manifested itself in her mind. She leapt from the ball of air and maneuvered Asami in front of her, while landing gracefully and deftly.

Asami was already beginning to form a question on her lips, but Korra never gave her a chance. Instead she pressed their lips together while keeping one hand on Asami’s waist and taking hold of her hand in the other. Korra then began to lead them through a series of twirling steps she could only hope approximated a real dance and when Asami broke the kiss to stare in bewilderment, Korra opted to try and hum a tune that she thought matched her impromptu foot movements.

“This is amazing! Where did you learn to dance?” Asami was smiling brightly, the earlier conversation forgotten for the moment, with only the memory of the ache in her chest remaining.

“Uh, nowhere actually. I don’t really know what I’m doing.” Asami’s jaw dropped at the confession, even though her smile still didn’t fall from her face. Korra was about to pick back up her clumsy hum, while leading her soulmate into an elegant twirl, when Asami spoke again.

“What do you call this then? I know it’s not a type of dance I’ve seen before, but you definitely _seem_ like you know what you’re doing.” Asami alternated glances from their feet back to Korra’s face, trying desperately to figure out what skill could possibly explain their graceful steps.

Korra felt her cheeks flush, while answering hesitantly, “I’m just improvising, altering and alternating between the footwork for some airbending, waterbending and firebending forms…” If it were truly possible for Asami’s jaw to fall off her face entirely it definitely would have, which prompted Korra to speed up the next few steps she was making up to incorporate a low dip, during which she planted a kiss to her soulmate’s cheek.

“ _This_ is bending footwork?” Asami was incredulous even as her face remained as lit up as ever, clearly enjoying the closeness and intimacy of a private dance just for them.

Korra half shrugged, “Like I said, I’m changing and altering it as I go. I’m just trying to imitate some of the dancing I’ve seen at formal events.”

“But how can you just change the footwork? Aren’t all the steps sacred or something? Written on scrolls and bound in tradition- meant to capture the essence of the element?” Asami wasn’t entirely wrong- although calling the various forms “sacred” was quite the exaggeration, but she likely knew that given her tone held equal parts teasing and curiosity.

“Oh, all my old masters would likely have a fit if they saw, but there wouldn’t be much they could say. After becoming a master myself, I would always adapt everything to my style or to fit any given situation. Tenzin even called it ‘Korra Style’ once, but I’ve never actually written anything down or created enough movements or techniques to actually have an official bending style published or anything. Besides, changing all the bending styles is almost a given for the Avatar, having to switch between elements mid fight doesn’t always allow me to maintain proper form.” Korra could almost kick herself for bringing up the Avatar aspect, fearing it might bring them back to a very sore topic, but Asami either didn’t notice or was willing to move past it to keep the evening from souring again.

“You actually develop unique bending techniques?”

“Don’t sound so surprised! I am a legitimate master of all four elements.” She couldn’t keep a touch of indignation out of her voice- she worked very hard to master the elements and was presently one of only two master airbenders in the world, even if she couldn’t get the tattoos to prove it on account of being from the Water Tribe (not that she would want them anyway). She picked up her clumsy hum again, leading Asami into a number of elegant twirls that elicited another series of giggles from her. Korra kept them dancing to the tune of her hum long into the night, enjoying the look of pure joy on Asami’s face, even if her wide smile was ultimately cause of a minor ache in her own cheeks.

* * *

Pressed up firmly against the wall by Korra’s hips against hers and her wrists held above her head by one of Korra’s hands, Asami closed her eyes as Korra’s free hand had unrestricted access to the rest of her body. Even though they hadn’t shed any clothes yet, this was just the beginning- the opening act before the main event. Asami sighed and moaned as Korra’s traveling tongue and wandering hand encouraged her desire while simultaneously reminding her that Korra was indeed a _very_ fast learner.

It was always surreal to find herself in circumstances such as this with Korra. For one, Korra was the love of her life and to be expressing the love they shared in a physical manner was truly a titillating experience. For another, it was still sometimes hard to believe that Korra, the young, easily embarrassed, slightly awkward and self conscious Avatar, was actually eager to have sex with her. And of course the most surreal aspect was that everything about it felt so natural and right and perfect- the quintessential epitome of what it meant to be in love with your soulmate. There wasn’t any doubt in Asami’s mind that they really were made for each other. But for all that she was enjoying this and for all that Korra was doing an excellent job at hiding it, it was clear to Asami that her soulmate was still hesitant and holding back.

For all that Korra was confident and strong when it came to almost everything else that she did (perhaps the sole exception being driving), there was still a certain diffidence and tentativeness when they were actually in bed together (or in this case against a wall). If she were honest, Asami was certain that there were two reasons for Korra’s disposition- one was that Korra was concerned she would accidentally hurt her by misapplying her strength, that rough could easily become too rough, but Asami knew that fear could be easily rectified over time. The other reason was less certain, but Asami had a sneaking suspicion that Korra, actually enjoyed when Asami was the assertive one.

That idea had played in Asami’s mind ever since their hunt for airbenders began and their nightly makeout sessions grew heated. Korra had always had the strongest reactions, sighing the deepest in pleasure, which she was often able to keep restrained, and melting the most when Asami was doing her best to choke the Avatar using only her tongue. That same notion had been reinforced a handful of times since.

Given her own penchant for being held and having Korra’s strength leveraged against her- like in their present circumstance, Asami hadn’t really considered the idea that they could potentially swap places or that Korra might have enjoyed being the one pressed against the wall. It had only been very recently that they became intimate and every time Korra was both the initiator and the more dominant one and Asami had thoroughly enjoyed both of those things. Yet, if her newfound suspicion was to be explored, she would have to change that pattern. Unwrapping her legs from around the Avatar’s waist was her silent way of asking Korra to release her and naturally Korra complied at once- even if their kiss never broke. With her hands free, Asami reached around to undo the ties that held Korra’s dress up, while guiding them away from the wall.

As the blue dress pooled on the ground, Asami broke the kiss to give Korra a playful shove in the direction of the bed, before reaching behind her to undo the ties of her own dress. Opening her eyes to begin such an endeavor revealed Korra’s almost entirely nude body- apparently her soulmate had been hoping that they would end their evening in such a manner and had foregone wearing her chest wrap- leaving her in only underwear. Even as Asami continued to focus on undoing the knots to her own red dress, she drank in the sight of Korra’s body- her toned abs and thick arm muscles, her strong thighs and slender waist, her ample breasts and flowing hair, her full lips and the glittering pools of ocean she held captive in her eyes- it was hard to believe that she was really real… and really hers. That thought alone unleashed an uncharacteristic possessiveness in Asami, Korra was hers- her soulmate- her love- her life partner- hers and hers alone.

Even as her red dress hit the floor, Asami didn’t stop or hesitate to continue- shucking off her undergarments as she stalked toward Korra, hungry for her in the way one can only be hungry for their soulmate. Asami seized her, pushing her onto the bed and arranging them in a very similar way as they had been against the wall, but this time with Korra being the one “restrained.” A familiar shudder of pleasure passed through her, as she made full body contact against Korra’s warmth. Korra’s hard muscles, wrapped in warm and soft skin felt magnificent against the most sensitive areas of Asami’s body. Asami enjoyed the sensation as she slid along Korra’s form to secure her position atop her soulmate. It didn’t matter that Asami lacked the physical strength to actually prevent Korra from breaking free of her grip (in the same way that it didn’t matter that Korra would never actually stop Asami from breaking free if she so desired)- it was the commanding presence and sensation of it that mattered. As Asami’s free hand began to caress Korra’s body and their tongues wrestled for dominance, Asami was indeed rewarded for her efforts with a deep pleasurable moan emanating from her soulmate.

That was more than enough of a confirmation for her and there was no way that Asami was going to fail to capitalize on such a delicious realization. She continued her ministrations for several more moments, enjoying every silent sigh and twitch of pleasure she could evoke before helping Korra kick off her underwear. It was a truly special thing to be able to bring such pleasure to the woman she loved and the young engineer delighted herself with the knowledge that she was the only person who could do that for Korra. Asami relinquished her hold on Korra’s lips to instead clamp down on her neck, all while continuing to stoke her soulmate’s desire with her free hand. It wasn’t long before Korra became a writhing mass of pleasure beneath her- moaning and gasping in delight. Perhaps Asami really was the most powerful person in the world- the Avatar was certainly the strongest and right now she was absolute putty in Asami’s hands. Just as Korra was approaching the brink, Asami brought her lips close to her soulmate’s ear to whisper a breathy, “You’re mine.” Korra’s breath hitched and she bit down hard on her lip to stifle a yell. Despite the sudden pain in her own lip, Asami gently nibbled on the ear she was whispering into before repeating, “Korra, you’re _mine._ ” This time, as Korra went over the edge, she couldn’t suppress her scream of pleasure, as Asami gently but firmly continued to hold her soulmate’s hands above her head.

It was only after Korra finished riding the waves of ecstasy that Asami found herself unwilling to maintain their position and allowed Korra the freedom to roll them both over. Korra laid her head on Asami’s chest in much the same way Asami often lay on Korra. They stayed that way for several long minutes, Korra breathing deeply while hugging herself into Asami and Asami enjoying the opportunity to run her hands through impossibly soft brown hair- quite pleased with herself over Korra’s reaction to her change in behavior. This was in fact the best part about having sex with Korra, the way that Korra usually wrapped Asami in her arms, or in this case the way Korra snuggled herself into Asami was the undeniable confirmation that all either of them really wanted in this world was to be as close and connected to the other as possible.

“What brought that on?” Korra asked without even so much as looking up, sounding infinitely content to continue hugging herself to Asami.

Asami hummed a bit in response before replying, “I thought you might enjoy it.” Expecting a follow up inquiry from Korra, she quickly added on, “I do know you pretty well, Korra. And I know this is fairly new for us, but if there’s ever something you want me to do or not do, all you have to do is say so.” That prompted Korra to pick her head up and fix her with a mischievous look. For all that Korra may have enjoyed intimately cuddling in the minutes following her climax, there was no doubt that she was far from tired and the look on her face clearly communicated that she was looking forward to continuing this tryst for a long time yet. Honestly Korra’s stamina was staggering sometimes, but Asami would be lying if she even suggested that she didn’t love every minute of it.

“Is there anything you’d like me to try or do? Because it’s your turn now.” Korra moved aggressively toward her, showing more confidence than she usually did, which no doubt meant that she was going to be imitating the treatment she just received. They quickly devolved into a passionate and affectionate wrestling match, each enjoying being able to be in control for the other’s pleasure and each equally glad to surrender themselves to the other’s possession. It was only the threat of the rising dawn that finally ended the evening and brought them heading toward a deep slumber. Impassioned “I love you’s” passed over exhausted tongues and tired lips. However, Asami ensured that this time she was the one cradling Korra as they drifted off and just before her own eyes closed she was exceedingly satisfied to note the look of peace and pleasure gracing Korra’s face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The unfortunate delay before this chapter was released was something of a wakeup call for me and I realized that it is, in fact, desirable for any of you who care/are interested to be able to have a way to be updated about the status of this story as well as a direct line of communication to me. To that end, you can find me on discord: Zyperis#8184 and the link for the server I have established is: https://discord.gg/Ez9He2PB. To be very clear, I am NOT looking to promote anything (including myself) this is really done to hopefully achieve two goals: 1) this will provide me with a way to update/notify you about when the next chapter is to be posted, delays in regards to the posting schedule, and eventually how writing the new content is progressing (all when applicable), 2) this will provide you with a direct line of communication to me to answer any questions you have about this story or LOK in general or to expand upon my thoughts in regards to a particular passage or chapter etc. I have said this already in a comment on the previous chapter and this is the last time that I plan on discussing this as my focus (and presumably yours) is exclusively on the story itself. The next chapter will be coming out on time and to be clear I mean on time for the intended schedule- as if this one had come out on time. Fair warning- the following sentence is a touch of a spoiler- so skip the rest of this author’s note if that concerns you (and thank you for reading). I am hesitant to even confirm this, but I feel like it is worth noting for everyone looking forward to it: this is the last fluffy chapter as things begin to kick off again in the next one. As always, I thank you very much for reading and hope you enjoyed and welcome any/all comments and constructive criticism.


	9. Chapter 46: Breach

Korra was exceptionally pleased with herself. She had long since recovered from her injury while sparring with Kuvira and she had drastically improved her metalbending in that time. She was trying to show off since Asami was watching her, but she really was in fine form. She had easily bested Wing and Wei separately and now she was winning against them, when they also had two guards assisting them as well. She usually only fought three opponents as a final exam for her White Lotus teachers, but she was highly confident in her ability and had far more real combat experience than any of the others so she wanted the added challenge. In a final dazzling display, she used both cables, while twirling around to avoid various metal projectiles, and finally used some of the metal walkway to knock out all four of her opponents in a very sudden and astounding fashion. As all four readily conceded that she won, she jumped and up and flexed her arms shouting, “Metalbending champion!”

“Wooo! That’s my girl!” Asami called out to her and Korra couldn’t stop her smile from widening. Su had discussed the security situation of Zaofu and their relationship with them one evening and advised that she was going to have her personal elite guards on duty as well. They would be working rotating shifts so that at least one was always on guard, as they had been advised that Asami was the Avatar’s soulmate. Consequently if ever something were to happen, they were to listen to Asami’s concerns and orders as if Su had given them herself. Although neither girl was happy about their secret spreading, Su insisted it was necessary on the off chance that Zaheer did try and attack the city. Despite her initial misgivings, Korra was actually pleased that Su’s personal guard knew- it meant that it was possible for her and Asami to be more open with their relationship and hearing Asami cheer her on was definitely something she enjoyed.

All the same, Korra was going to miss staying in Zaofu. It had been an amazing few weeks, but now she felt very comfortable with her metalbending ability and Opal had decided and finally found the courage to tell Su that she would be leaving for the Northern Air Temple to become part of the New Air Nation. All told there wasn’t going to be any reason to stay, which meant that it would definitely be time to continue the search for airbenders.

The farewell dinner for Opal was filled with all of her favorites. The chef apparently was going to miss her dearly. Korra had noticed that Opal preferred an exclusively vegetarian diet (with a surprising emphasis on kale), which meant that she would fit in very well with Tenzin and the New Air Nation, both of whom encouraged the traditional diet. Bolin was inconsolable, believing that being separated from his soulmate would be the end of the world. The plan was that the rest of Team Avatar would continue to recruit airbenders, so it was only going to be a few weeks or maybe about a month before they were to be reunited as everyone would be returning to the Northern Air Temple with the new recruits in tow. Even still, Korra could sympathize- she didn’t even want to imagine having to go a day without Asami, being with her meant everything to the Avatar.

After dinner, Korra retired to her room and changed into her pajamas. Lying on her bed, she couldn’t help but begin to fantasize about Asami, knowing that before too long she would be coming to join her. It was only very recently that they had become lovers in every sense of the word and Korra was amazed by how right and natural it felt. She had always felt comforted and cared for with Asami, but as their relationship developed and deepened she came to feel truly loved. Although, her soulmate continued to assure her that such feelings were mutual Korra couldn’t help but worry that she should be doing more. Asami helped her with everything and try as she might, Korra couldn’t help Asami with much at all. She knew nothing about business or engineering and even if she did, that didn’t seem to be the type of support Asami needed. Really what could she give or do for Asami?

Lost in thought, trying to figure out how she could do more for the woman she loved and really show her how much she really did love her, Korra didn’t even notice the slight squeak as her glass window was cut open. She did notice Naga suddenly jump to attention before collapsing and that’s when she saw strange faces outside a hole in her window. _Is this Zaheer and his allies? Overconfident of them to try and fight the Avatar head on._

She leaped from the bed, a large fireball forming in her hand as she prepared to strike. A dart suddenly found itself imbedded in her thigh as she was moving through the air and though it didn’t hurt much, its effect was immediate. She felt all of her muscles go limp and she was unable to make any of her limbs respond no matter how hard she tried. She crashed to the floor in a heap. She couldn’t even move her mouth or face to yell and could only watch helplessly as her vision blurred and a giant of a man swung her over his shoulder and began to carry her away. _What did they do to me? And what are they planning on doing with me- they could just kill me right now…_

The fear gripped her like a vice- seizing her heart and mind. Whatever was in the dart left her completely limp, a fact well known by her captors who didn’t even bother with ropes or bindings, which meant that they knew she wouldn’t be going anywhere anytime soon. She was a prisoner in her own body, but she could still feel touch and movement- a horrifying thought as her captors began to make a hasty exit. Korra was completely at their mercy- they wanted her alive and the implications of that realization were gruesome.

* * *

Asami had a hard time enjoying Opal’s farewell dinner. It was easy for Asami to know what her soulmate was thinking, with Opal leaving and her apparent mastery over metalbending at its conclusion- Korra would want to leave. Outside of simply begging her to stay on account of concern for her safety, Asami had been unable to think of any possible reason to make Korra want to stay. Even Varrick’s “airbender locator” that was meant as a peace offering for their history didn’t brighten her mood- for one the device wasn’t helpful and for another it only reminded her that they were going to end up leaving the one place Korra would be safe from the people after her.

As the evening grew late and everyone had returned to their own rooms for the night, Asami began to make her way to sleep with Korra. Maybe tonight, she could finally find the courage to voice her concerns and ask Korra to listen to reason by agreeing to take some extra precautions for her safety. After they had confessed their love for each other, Asami was hoping that Korra might begin to consider the seriousness of the threat to her life, but her confidence hadn’t wavered. Worse still, Asami hadn’t found it within herself to actually talk to Korra about it because she didn’t want to start a fight that had no good resolution. It was beginning to look like her only recourse would be to ask Korra to do something against her nature on account of Asami’s love, but it really felt wrong to use that love to make her soulmate do something she didn’t want to do. She had spent countless hours since, wracking her brain to think of _any_ other reason for Korra to listen, but nothing had yet come to mind.

Perhaps there was still some way to spin things. Maybe they couldn’t stay in Zaofu, but maybe she could find a way to secure extra protection for Korra. She was nearing Korra’s bedroom, when a sudden sharp pain pierced her thigh. As strange as it was, it was very minor and she was sure to find the cause upon entering Korra’s room. A few seconds later, she felt a general impact across most of her body- like Korra had fallen or run into a wall, both possible explanations as Korra could be occasionally clumsy. Even still Asami picked up her pace and as she opened the door caught only the briefest glimpse of four people running away, one of whom had Korra draped over his shoulder.

The realization hadn’t even fully processed before she was jumping straight through the open window screaming for the guards that Korra was being kidnapped. At once she entered full-blown panic mode. She mentally berated herself for being lolled into a false sense of security and subsequently failing to keep her glove on her at all times. She wasn’t sure what she could accomplish without it, but she was determined to catch up with the criminals and do everything she could to save her soulmate. Fortunately, the guards responded at once to her command and as alarms went off, searchlights turned on and guards began pouring forth from multiple directions, raising walls of metal to try and cut off the criminals’ escape.

The tall woman turned toward her and suddenly a strong explosion appeared right in front of her. Asami was thrown through the air and landed hard on the ground. She was dazed and her vision spun and was blurry, but she struggled to her feet and took cover behind a pillar. She was quickly joined by Mako and Bolin, who covered them as more explosions rang out all around. She took stock of herself and their situation as the criminals were halted in their attempt to flee as the guards began erecting a makeshift prison of metal. She wasn’t really hurt- some minor aches from landing hard, maybe a few bruises. She didn’t feel any real pain coming from Korra either. Maybe a slight sting in her thing? A twinge in her shoulder- likely from falling or being dropped on the ground. Whatever the criminals had planned, it apparently didn’t involve actually injuring Korra- at least not yet, but there was no telling what they might do now that their attempt to escape had seemingly ben foiled.

It was only another moment before Lin, Su and her sons all reinforced the guards and the criminals were forced to hide behind a moat of lava. The fighting intensified thereafter- with the tall woman launching explosions almost continually at anyone that moved out from behind cover. Asami had never felt more useless, she didn’t have her glove and even if she did there was no way for her to fight from afar and thus no way for her to save Korra. All she could do was periodically give updates to confirm that Korra was still alright- there was no additional pain coming from her, so they weren’t trying to kill her for some reason. What was alarming was that no matter how many times she sent their signal, Korra never responded. Asami couldn’t get a clear view of her soulmate, but she didn’t seem to be restrained- why wasn’t Korra fighting back?

More than one attempt was made to cross the lava moat, but each attempt proved futile and the longer the battle went on the more desperate the criminals fought and the more concerned Asami became- there was no telling at what point they would give up whatever their primary objective was and decide to simply end Korra’s life. She was practically ready to scream and swim across the lava herself before that eventuality came to pass, when Su came up with a brilliant plan of dropping down from above. So long as Bolin could land a hit on the tall combustion bender then they wouldn’t be blown to bits in the air. Asami hated every minute of this fight, she couldn’t do anything to save Korra and she was forced to watch all of her friends fight to save her soulmate. What good was she if she couldn’t protect the one person she loved most- the one person she promised herself to protect?

Before long Su’s plan came to fruition and Lin was ascending to safety with the Avatar draped over her shoulder. Once it became clear that Korra was safe and they wouldn’t be able to get her back, the criminals made an astounding escape covered by the smoke from the lava. Asami quickly retrieved her glove before meeting up with Team Avatar, Su and Lin who was still carrying Korra. They were headed to Su’s office and the order to search the entire estate had already been given. More guards than ever were combing the grounds in the effort to find Zaheer.

Lin laid Korra on a couch with surprising care and gentleness. Even though Lin and Su likely had already done so, Asami did her best to check on the well being of her soulmate. Her pulse was strong, she seemed to be breathing steadily, there still was no additional pain, and Korra even seemed to be able to focus her eyes on her. None of that did much to make her feel better though- for some reason or other Korra couldn’t move. There was no other explanation for why she lay completely still and without so much as speaking up. Asami stood next to the couch and resolved to stand vigil until Korra was alright again, no one would take Korra away from her.

As she watched Korra’s eyes flick about the room, from person to person, Asami’s heart sunk. Her deepest fear had been realized. They were in Zaofu- they were supposed to be safe, but instead she was standing over her soulmate who couldn’t even twitch if she wanted to and her worry over what could be wrong only increased as the minutes passed. As upset as she was, Asami was far more terrified. Zaheer and his companions had barely hurt Korra. They could have easily killed her or seriously injured her, but instead they were trying to take her alive and helpless. What could they possibly be trying to do? She wanted to scream and cry all at once and take Korra and run far away and hide where no one would ever find them, so that they could just be together and be in love and then she wouldn’t have to worry about what might happen to her.

* * *

Korra hated this. She couldn’t move a single muscle in her entire body. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t so much as twitch a finger or move her lip. She was able to breathe, but just barely and swallowing was impossible, which caused her to drool in a completely disgusting and undignified way. Asami was quick to wipe her mouth with a cloth, but that in no way improved her feelings on the situation. This wasn’t supposed to happen to the Avatar. It had taken her far too long to think about trying to enter the Avatar State to try and undo whatever had been done to her. She had seen the Avatar State resist bloodbending, and she had hoped that it would give her control of her body again. But try as she might, she couldn’t get so much as a flicker of Avatar Spirit power.

It was hours before Aiwei deduced that she must have been struck with Shirshu toxin and produced the antidote to neutralize it. He helped her sip from a bottle and the bitter liquid poured down her throat. As feeling began to slowly return to her, she forced herself to sit up, well before she was ready- everyone needed to see and believe that she was strong and alright even if she wasn’t just yet. Asami was quick to sit beside her a reassuring hand on her shoulder, while quietly asking about her welfare. The green eyes revealed how concerned she was and the mild ache in her heart, left no question that Asami was upset. Korra placed a gentle hand on her soulmate’s thigh and smiled as wide as she could manage- she needed at least a few more minutes to get back control of her body, but comforting Asami was too important to put off.

“How could you let this happen? You assured me that this was one of the most secure places in the world.” Lin was furious and demanding answers now that she had risen- proving that everyone really did need to believe she was okay.

“It is. I don’t know how this happened. Obviously it was a well-planned operation, so don’t blame me.” Su was defensive and insulted by her sister’s insinuation. Captain Kuvira reported that they still hadn’t found any trace of the criminals and Aiwei suggested that they must have been working with someone in order to have inside knowledge of Zaofu.

“The-” Korra tried to speak, but her tongue felt thick and moving her lips was still hard. “The guards. It had to be one of them.” That was way harder than it should have been to say and the effort made her head spin even more. All she wanted to do was lie down and sleep, breathing deeply was still difficult and sitting upright wasn’t helping, but she couldn’t do that. She had to find Zaheer and put him back behind bars and hopefully figure out what he wanted from her. As for the guards, it was definitely the most logical explanation and everyone seemed inclined to agree with her and wanted to begin questioning the guards off duty first.

“I don’t think so.” Asami was speaking and drew everyone’s attention to her. “If it was one of the guards then they wouldn’t have just taken Korra. They would have made sure to take me too.” The questioning looks that she received encouraged her to continue. “I had been speaking with a guard the other day- not one of Su’s personal guards and he asked about our relationship,” she gestured to Korra. “Apparently, it’s become common knowledge amongst all of them and an operation this well planned wouldn’t have had such a gross oversight.”

No one could fault that logic, but it only made Korra more concerned. Who in the city could have had access to all the information needed to capture the Avatar? It would have to be an official or someone in a position of power. Korra made to stand, but instantly regretted it. Her legs were weak, almost like jelly and her vision blurred so she couldn’t make out anything as it spun. The Avatar was a symbol of strength, everyone had to believe she was alright. Asami stood as well, moving her hand to rest on the Avatar’s back to help keep her steady. At the suggestion that the accomplice was an official, Aiwei, Lin, and Su began to make the preparations for the interrogation. Having seen the Avatar on her feet meant that all of their concerns were alleviated and Su was determined to make the culprit who betrayed her pay dearly.

As the three adults began to leave the room, Korra started up conversation with Team Avatar about how they were going to be participating in the search. Once they were alone, however, Korra let herself collapse back on the couch with a hand to her head- standing had made her feel very sick. At once Asami was by her side trying to check her health and asking what was wrong. Mako and Bolin had surrounded her as well. No matter what assurances she might offer, they all knew her well enough to know she wasn’t alright- not yet anyway. Instead, seeing that everyone was still in their nightwear, she suggested they change and then meet up to inspect the battlefield before attending the interrogations.

As they returned to her room, Korra found herself leaning more heavily on her soulmate than she planned on and as her vision continued to swim became very grateful that she didn’t have to try and focus on where they were headed. Asami was silent as they walked down the hall, for which Korra was grateful. There were going to be any number of concerns and issues that they would have to discuss and she knew Asami wouldn’t approve of her plan to try and hunt down Zaheer. But once they got a lead on him, it was the best move they could make- she had to put him on the defensive and not just sit around and wait for him to attack again.

Entering her room, revealed a very anxious, but very happy polar bear dog quickly recovering from the effects of the toxin. Naga walked on shaky legs to nuzzle into Korra and after some much appreciated, if weak rubs and scratches contented herself to again lie at the foot of the bed. It was good to see that Naga was doing at least as well, if not better than she was, Korra had been worried about what might have happened to her oldest friend, but evidently Naga was going to be perfectly okay.

Asami helped her change into her usual attire and Korra almost laughed at the irony- the last time she needed help getting changed was when she was unconscious following a dark spirit attack and Asami had made it a point to assure her that she had kept her eyes closed. Now there wasn’t the slightest bit of awkwardness even as she secured the chest wrap around the Avatar’s bust. Korra could have managed getting dressed herself, but Asami’s assistance allowed her to focus on her breathing and clearing her vision. Although she may have liked to ogle her raven-haired girlfriend, while she changed out of her pajamas, Korra opted to lie back on the bed with her eyes closed- relishing in the stillness and rest it offered her body, even if it was only momentary.

“You’re going to have to tell me what’s wrong. I can’t feel any pain, so I don’t know how to help…” Asami was speaking as she sat on the bed and began rubbing her soulmate’s thigh, where the dart had pierced her. The pain had all but faded, but even the memory of it was likely upsetting for Asami, who was always overly concerned with her welfare.

“I’m not hurt and I’ll be okay. The antidote just needs more time to fully take affect.” Korra knew her body well enough to know that she was speaking the truth, but she also wasn’t being fully honest. Her vision was still blurry and her body continued to fight her- every movement taking a considerable effort to keep the tension in her muscles. It wouldn’t do any good to worry Asami, however, and they really needed to move quickly if they were to have any hope of catching Zaheer’s trail.

Forcing herself to sit up, she wrapped her arms around her engineer, as much to comfort her as herself. Korra knew that whatever came next that it was going to be a hard and long battle and all she could think about was how much Harmonic Convergence hurt Asami. It was never her own pain that bothered her- she had grown accustomed to it, but to hurt the woman she loved- it just wasn’t right. It was also doubly unfair that it was almost exclusively one sided- Asami so rarely got injured and it was only because of her life as the Avatar that her soulmate had to endure any agony.

All of Team Avatar scoured the location of the battle hoping to find a clue that the Zaofu guards had missed. Korra for her part hoped that she would be able to think of something, or see something that jogged her memory to give them an idea of how Zaheer escaped. Most of the conflict had been a hazy blur- she hadn’t been able to see clearly and with her panicking over her helpless state she didn’t process much of what actually transpired. Surprisingly, Varrick appeared and offered the most insight, indicating that whoever helped the criminals would have to be able to also find a way to keep a secret in a city that supposedly didn’t have secrets thanks to Aiwei. That realization was what tipped Mako off to the conclusion that perhaps the most trusted truth-seer had some unknown ties to Zaheer. As they searched his home, however, Korra wasn’t able to discover any evidence. All of Aiwei’s books and journals in no way incriminated him.

“Look at these scuff marks, I think this bookshelf slides open.” Mako suddenly announced to the room before pulling strongly and revealing a door and staircase leading into a tunnel. “It could be how Zaheer got in and out.”

It made sense- Aiwei’s home was near a cliff face- if the tunnel ran deep into the mountain there could be an entrance far enough away that the guards couldn’t see it. They were also relatively close to Su’s estate- a near perfect staging ground for the kidnap attempt, with a secret and discreet way to escape quickly.

“Aiwei’s coming back.” Asami’s warning came just in time as they hurriedly closed the bookshelf “door” and tried their best to stand nonchalantly in his living room, like they were waiting for him. His surprise and displeasure at their presence was easy to see and being a truth seer meant that they couldn’t lie to him. They were all going to have to be very careful about how they talked. As far as why they were there…

“We were looking for answers and thought you might have some.” Korra offered an honest though misleading explanation. He had been supposedly interrogating other officials with Lin and Su- the Avatar and her friends easily could have come to get an update from him or to try and discuss other possible theories about who might be responsible for the attack with the only man supposedly capable of finding the answers.

Aiwei looked a bit skeptical, but kindly offered to prepare tea so that they could discuss the situation in detail. To everyone’s credit, especially Bolin, they managed to “lie” to him for the duration of their tea session. It was only as Aiwei’s questions became more and more pointed and he began to wander around his house that he realized they suspected him to be the culprit.

“You have no idea what’s coming for you, Avatar. And now you too, Miss Sato.” At once Aiwei began raising a very thick metal wall from the floor of his home that was going to cut them off. If she weren’t still fighting the effects of the toxin in her body, Korra would have been faster and maybe had gotten the jump on him with airbending, as it was she stumbled trying to rise from her chair and Mako’s fire blast was blocked as the wall finished closing them off from Aiwei.

Everyone turned to her- not only was she the Avatar, but she was also the only metalbender among them, since Bolin still hadn’t made any progress in that area. She ground her teeth taking a firm stance and threw her weight into the punch she gave the wall. The impact created a huge dent, but the wall still held. Her vision flashed and her limbs felt weak. Breathing hard she tried to get her bearings- she had to catch him and get through this wall.

“Come on! He’s getting away!” Mako was yelling at her. And he was right, but her vision was still swimming and she felt off balance- the worst possible feeling for trying to metalbend, which required a very grounded position.

“I’m trying- back off!” Korra didn’t need any added pressure. Right or not Mako yelling at her wasn’t going to help and she had to try and focus. She took a deep breath before she let out an angry yell- digging her hands into the dent and prying the wall open large enough for them all to climb through.

The world was really whirling around after that as she gasped for breath and tried to focus her eyes- maybe the antidote he had given her wasn’t the true cure it was supposed to be. The gentle hands on her back and side steadied her and gave her renewed focus. Asami. If they caught Aiwei now then they would have an advantage over Zaheer- she had to do this to protect Asami.

She staggered forward and down the stairs behind the bookcase that had been left open. There was a door at the bottom and as she opened it and her eyes focused she was horrified to see a detonator clicking off and a large barrel of blasting jelly igniting into a roaring inferno. She didn’t have time to earthbend a wall and funneling the flames around her was no guarantee of safety. She had to airbend a vortex strong enough to keep her friends safe. She closed her eyes and threw out her arms channeling all of her strength into the air around her swirling it fiercely. She felt her friends press close to her and the pressure of the explosion pressing in, but she held strong. It could only have lasted a few moments, but it seemed like it would never end- the heat and the pressure continually threatened to overwhelm the vortex of air she created. She wouldn’t break, not while her friends’ lives hung in the balance.

It wasn’t until she was sure that the explosion was over that she let her hands drop and she opened her eyes. Looking around Korra was relieved to see that everyone else was okay and she was unharmed as well. But now she had really done it. Korra swayed on her feet as she tried to find her balance, breathing was difficult- it seemed overly complicated to suck in air. Water. Sleep. She just needed to rest for a minute and then… Why was Asami holding her? And when had Lin and Su shown up? Was everyone suddenly taller or was she lying down? Rest. Just for a minute and then she could…

* * *

Asami caught Korra as she collapsed, gently slowing her fall until she could kneel on the ground cradling Korra close to her while supporting the Avatar’s neck. Korra’s eyes flicked about, her pupils dilating in and out of focus. Although Asami tried speaking with her, Korra’s half mumbled responses were completely incoherent. Mako and Bolin were beside her equally concerned over Korra’s collapse. The lack of pain was a contradicting mix of reassuring and concerning. No pain implied that Korra was going to be okay or at the very least not suffering, but without pain Asami couldn’t even begin to guess at what was wrong with her.

Su and Lin showed up before long, just before Korra’s eyes rolled back into her head as she fell into unconsciousness. A very brief explanation of the events that lead them to this position left Su speechless and Lin to begin barking orders at Captain Kuvira who appeared to investigate the explosion. Given Korra’s present condition shortly after having recovered from shirshu toxin, they opted to again move her to Su’s office for the security it offered and to treat whatever may have caused her to pass out.

Having already essentially been holding her and being her soulmate and being deeply concerned over Korra’s welfare in general, Asami took it upon herself to carry Korra. Even though Asami was more than capable of handling herself in a fight (even without her glove) and even though she was incredibly fit in her own right, her raw strength paled in comparison to her soulmate. Korra’s monumental strength was normally an advantage, however all of that muscle mass made her much heavier than her lean figure would imply and Asami struggled to manage the weight. She didn’t make it very far beyond Aiwei’s home before the strain in her muscles was significant and every step a challenge. She ground her teeth and steeled herself with determination however, there was no way that she would let herself fail Korra again by being unable to bring her to the safety of Su’s office.

“Here, I’ve got her. Don’t strain yourself kid.” Lin was in front of her, arms outstretched asking Asami to hand over her soulmate. Asami hesitated, not because she distrusted Lin, but because she didn’t want to relinquish her hold on Korra. With Korra in her arms, Asami could feel every breath she took and with the way her hands gripped the Avatar so tightly Asami could also feel her pulse- strong and steady in her fingertips. In that short moment of hesitation, she saw Lin’s face soften however slightly and after somewhat awkwardly transferring Korra to Lin, the Chief adjusted the unconscious Avatar so that she was essentially cradled in the older woman’s arms. Lin didn’t show any struggle while finishing the trip to Su’s office despite managing Korra’s weight and once again lay Korra out on the couch with the same care and gentleness as she had done the night before.

Asami was angry with herself for ever allowing Korra to push herself, when she _knew_ that her soulmate needed rest and time to recover after the kidnap attempt. Watching her struggle to bend the metal wall had been cause for concern, as she had never seen Korra struggle to breathe after such a short display of bending. There hadn’t been any chance to do anything about it though as Aiwei was their only chance to try and get an advantage over Zaheer. Now though, she was okay.

Korra was once again lying on the couch in Su’s office where she had been hours earlier. Once again, Asami had resolved to stand vigil and make sure that she was taken care of. Her concern for her soulmate’s well being had been largely put to ease, after an herbalist in Zaofu confirmed that the antidote Aiwei had administered wasn’t malicious in nature. Apparently the dose of shirshu toxin the Avatar received was so great that a normal dosage of antidote wouldn’t have been sufficient and given that she had pushed her physical limits the toxin had once again begun to affect her cognitive functions. All she needed now was rest following the second dosage of antidote that had been forced down her throat while she slept, but that did nothing to ease Asami’s concern or diminish her anger- she should have done more for Korra.

Much had transpired in the hours since, while the Avatar lay asleep. The tunnel that had collapsed in the explosion had been excavated and the exit discovered. They had confirmed that Aiwei was truly to blame for Zaheer’s infiltration and Lin had already made plans with Tonraq and Lord Zuko to pursue him. Su had arranged for extra protection for the Avatar while the manhunt continued. All they had to do was ensure that Korra remained safely in Zaofu.

“I still can’t believe Aiwei was responsible for this. I trusted him with my life. I thought we were family, but it was all a lie.” Su was still trying to wrap her head around Aiwei’s betrayal and considering how much she relied on him it was understandable. There were few people Asami would place above suspicion, but if one of them did ever betray her she would be shaken too. She could remember her father’s betrayal well. It had hurt and caused her to lose faith in so much she believed in.

“Whoever these guys are they’re way more powerful than we thought. And more dangerous. We have to be ready.” Mako had been trying to discuss battle strategy for the past several hours. Having never faced a combustion bender or lava bender before he thought it prudent that they plan for the next battle. He didn’t put as much emphasis on the water arm lady or Zaheer’s airbending capabilities, but Asami suspected they could be equally dangerous.

“That’s why we have to find them.” Korra’s eyes had suddenly opened and she was already struggling to sit up. Asami moved to crouch by the couch and gently laid a hand on her soulmate to keep her lying down. “We’re going to hold off our search for airbenders to hunt down Aiwei. Naga will be able to track his scent and if we find him, we’ll find Zaheer.”

Leave it to Korra to already be trying to get into another fight. Even though she knew the Avatar wasn’t in any pain, Asami was still worried about any lingering effects that the toxin may have. Though she initially fought her, Korra was quick to give in to Asami’s gentle touch and lay back on the couch. Assured she wasn’t going to be getting up readily, Asami moved to bring her soulmate a glass of water- no doubt she was thirsty after being asleep for so long and from not having anything other than Aiwei’s tea for sustenance.

“No. We’re not hunting this group. There could be other secret agents in other parts of the world looking for you right now. We’re going to go back to Republic City, where I can keep an eye on you. With my officers and Su’s guard they won’t be getting near the Avatar.” Lin and Su had disagreed on only one point- whether or not Korra should remain in Zaofu. Lin had clearly made up her mind that Republic City was the safer location. Although Asami agreed with Su that Zaofu may be the better option, as long as Su’s personal guard was present she’d be content- they had played a pivotal role in protecting Korra.

“If I wasn’t safe here, then I’m not safe anywhere!” Korra had drained the glass of water and had already stood up from the couch, despite Asami trying to keep her down. “I’m the Avatar- I don’t need protecting.”

“Korra enough.” Asami had been silent on this issue for far too long. She had wanted to speak up weeks ago in Ba Sing Se, but had held off. She had manipulated Korra into staying safe for her own protection, to try and avoid such an argument with her. She had even held off on begging her to stay because of their feelings for each other because she knew how Korra would feel about that. But she couldn’t let this go any longer.

“Zaheer and his gang almost kidnapped you! It was only because of everyone here and all of the guards that they didn’t escape and do who knows what to you. Avatar or not- everyone needs protecting sometimes and running off is only going to get you hurt… or worse.” Her anger turned to fear as she thought about everything that happened and everything that could happen. She stood in the center of the room shaking however slightly, but her voice never wavered, “Please just let someone else handle this.” She met Korra’s blue eyes begging her to please listen and to put herself first just this once.

Korra took a step towards her and wrapped her in a tight and warm embrace, no doubt feeling the welling emotional ache that threatened to sting Asami’s eyes with tears. “I’m okay now- really. I now know what to expect and I’ll be more careful. I can take care of myself. Besides I can’t let someone else handle this- Aiwei now knows that you’re my soulmate. You heard his threat- we have to catch him before he tells Zaheer. We don’t have time to lose.”

Even with her soulmate’s strong arms around her and even though she spoke in such a soft and reassuring voice Asami didn’t want to hear it. What was worse was that everything Korra said made sense- it wasn’t just her Avatar duty compelling her actions, she was trying to protect her too. The engineer could easily imagine why, even if Korra likely would never say it aloud- if Zaheer got his hands on her then all of the guards and all of the protection in the world wouldn’t matter- Korra would do whatever he said. They wouldn’t have to be gentle or careful with Asami, like they had been with Korra- they’d have all the leverage they needed to make the Avatar do anything they wanted.

Asami bent her head to burry it in Korra’s shoulder as she squeezed back tightly. As much as she wanted to fight Korra on this she couldn’t- she couldn’t ask Korra not to protect her. She was giving in and Korra knew it. Already she was trying to make plans for transportation and supplies, while Asami continued to clutch at her. Lin continued to argue with Korra, but didn’t make any ground until Su joined in with her support. Eventually the argument was ended and Korra had conceded to stay the night- Lin would head out first thing in the morning to chase down Aiwei, ultimately meeting up with Tonraq and Lord Zuko who were already en route.

Asami couldn’t decide whether or not she was happy with that conclusion. On the one hand, it likely was safer for everyone if they stayed in Zaofu, but on the other the potential ramifications of Zaheer discovering and then exploiting their soulmate bond were too great to imagine. It wasn’t until later that evening, when Su came to check in on everyone that she explained she had already made the preparations for them to start hunting down Aiwei. While she had her own motivations for wanting him caught, apparently her concern over Zaheer getting his hands on the Avatar’s soulmate were the greatest motivator of her actions. Before long Asami was driving a jeep as Korra rode Naga ahead of them into the night to hunt down Aiwei. Various emotions waged war inside of her- none of this was supposed to happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This note has nothing to do with the chapter, so you can feel free to skip it- and I thank you for reading. I happened to come up with this in response to a comment on the previous chapter and enjoyed the implications of it enough that I wanted to share it with a wider audience. Ultimately, this is something that I have struggled to articulate consciely when speaking to people about this story and finally coming close to that mark is why I wanted to share it now. Just to be clear- in the following few sentences “they” is referring to Korra and Asami.  
> So, somewhere buried in all of this mess that is this AU is the philosophical ramblings of the idea that “love is pain.” Really- everything about this AU just screams that one thought. Pain is how you find your soulmate. Pain is what enables you to understand what they’re feeling. Pain tells you who you are supposed to love. And loving someone is already painful for so many reasons and with this AU that is perhaps amplified like never before. Love hurts. Being in a relationship hurts. And while the irony is that true love will always bring people together in the end and take away their pain- love and pain are impossibly and inextricably linked here. And that is why through all of the suffering and trouble they’ll face- they will have to find a way to overcome and accept everything about the other- giving love, while knowing and accepting just how much doing so hurts- because love is worth it in the end. Right?  
> I’d love for that spiel to be food for thought for everyone. You can choose to share your thoughts with me or your friends/family/partner or even no one at all, but ultimately it was that concept that really intrigues me when it came to the original work and part of the reason why I am so motivated to continue this story. In any event, I do hope you enjoyed this chapter and I thank you very much for reading. As always, I welcome any/all comments and constructive criticism.


	10. Chapter 47: Manhunt

Korra was riding Naga hard and fast. She had opted to have everyone else ride in the jeep to make the load Naga had to carry as light as possible, plus the only riding companion she would have liked to have was desperately needed to drive the jeep if they were to keep up. Korra knew Naga probably better than she knew herself and every breath and every twitch that she gave kept Korra well apprised of her condition. Korra was pushing her hard, but not too hard and every time Naga needed to slow down slightly to keep on the scent, Korra obliged. She may not have gotten to spend as much time with her oldest friend as she would have liked, but they had grown up together and their connection was flawless- despite Aiwei’s head start, they would catch up to him at this rate.

The dull ache in the Avatar’s chest had not abated since she woke up for the second time on Su’s couch. Asami was apparently very upset with their situation, even if she was trying to hide it. Korra knew that her soulmate understood- they wouldn’t be hunting down traitors in the middle of the night if she didn’t. Asami was practical and realistic and had readily conceded her position once Korra explained that they had to hunt Aiwei to protect their soulmate bond, but that didn’t mean she had to like it.

All the same, Korra was at a loss at what to say to help comfort her. Repeating that they couldn’t let their soulmate bond get discovered or taken advantage of didn’t seem like it would help. Besides Asami knew better than anyone that if anything happened Korra would do whatever it took to keep her safe. _Once again I’m proving to be the worst soulmate ever. I’m hurting the woman I love and I can’t even figure out a way to comfort her._ It was a horrifying reality- it was bad enough to hurt Asami because of their shared pain, but it was an even worse to hurt her by putting her in danger. The possibilities were appalling to consider and no matter what else happened, Korra would protect Asami from Zaheer- nothing and no one would harm her soulmate.

As the sun rose higher, indicating that it was already late morning, Korra made the decision that they would have to stop and rest. Naga had been running all night and needed a break and more importantly something to drink. They had been heading into the desert and between the arid climate and scorching heat, the polar bear dog was quickly getting dehydrated. As they came upon a small town, Korra slowed Naga to explain that after they did a brief search of the town to check for Aiwei that they would need to stop here for a bit. Although, she wouldn’t admit it, Korra was anxious to stop and find something to drink for herself. She hadn’t really eaten anything yesterday and had only drunk the one glass of water Asami had brought her. They quickly determined that Aiwei had been through the town, but had already left, which meant that they were going to be resting and watering Naga. Upon entering a seedy tavern, they were all greeted by angry looks as every patron sized them up.

“Ooh, look they have a mover poster of me! Must be big Nuktuk fans. I should go over and say hello.” Bolin had pointed to a wanted poster on the wall and had already taken a step forward with a big smile on his face before Korra stopped him.

“No, those are wanted posters- there’s one for each of us.” Mako clarified the situation for his brother before reading the charges. “ ‘Wanted by her majesty, the Earth Queen, for crimes against the kingdom.’ Must be because we took her airbenders.” _They weren’t even hers to keep! I swear if I see her pinchy queen face again…_

“Uh, guys? Maybe we should get out of here?” Asami brought all of their attention to the room of nasty patrons that had moved to place their hands on their weapons and looked like they had ideas of attempting to collect the bounty on their heads. Korra wasn’t going to have any of it- they had an evil truth-seer to track down before he revealed the Avatar’s weakness. They needed to rest for Naga’s sake and there was no telling how far it was to the next town.

“I’m the Avatar.” Korra took a step forward making sure to look directly at every single person who was present. “The Earth Queen has no authority over me.” She reached out her arm and sent a burst of fire to incinerate the wanted posters. “My friends are under my protection. Do any of you really want to fight the Avatar?” Between the fierceness in her voice and her reputation as an incredible fighter, Korra was hoping that her threat and presence would be enough to make everyone back down.

There was only the slightest hesitation as the tension in the air increased before the man nearest her at the bar suddenly lunged forward in an attempt to tackle her. Rather than immediately resort to bending, she opted to dismantle this attack with her raw strength- with the intent of appearing even more menacing to the other would be bounty hunters. She took a half step back and just as the man was going to stumble past her, she reached out and grabbed his arm, pulling with all her strength to yank him off his feet and throw him clean across the room, colliding upside down against the wall.

Rather than relieving the tension, however, every patron drew their weapon and began the attack. Team Avatar wasted no time in stepping into action. Korra for her part pulled out all the stops, blasting fire, launching earth pillars, and even twisting a man’s sword around his own arms. The few earthbenders present launched some pitiful attacks at her that she either punched through or simply redirected back at them. Mako and Bolin were performing much as they always did- a perfect team complimenting each strike and defensive move. Asami was dancing around whatever bounty hunter was foolish enough to try and fight her, dropping them with a quick shock of her glove.

It was just as Korra was sending an attacker through the ceiling of the tavern that she felt a sharp impact to her left arm. Looking back she saw that Asami had been forced to block a bit of rock that had been bent at her, while she contended with a particularly skilled individual. The Avatar was quick to react and unleashed a torrent of fire that left the earthbender burning before he got another chance to attack her soulmate- during which time, Asami had finished off her assailant.

As the last adversary fell, Korra turned to the man behind the bar who had opted to remain uninvolved in the violence around him. “Drinks and food for all of us. And a bucket of water for my polar bear dog.” The man was hesitant to comply until she followed up with assuring him that they had money. While they all took seats at the bar and the man went about following through on the orders, Korra made her way over to Asami- her arm hurt quite a bit and she wanted to check on it. With any luck she might be able to figure out something to say to brighten her mood as well.

* * *

As she drove through the night, Asami couldn’t stop the ache in her heart. All she wanted more than anything was just to be able to enjoy life with Korra, just to be in love with Korra, just to be with Korra, anything with Korra so long as there wasn’t some impending threat to her life. Amon had been bad, but Asami had been unsure of her feelings back then and at least Amon didn’t want to kill her soulmate. Unalaq had wanted to destroy the entire world, but at least he hadn’t targeted only Korra. But whatever Zaheer wanted, which was still unclear, felt so personal. He wasn’t going after all benders, he wasn’t going after the world, he was attacking the Avatar, Korra, her soulmate, the woman she loved. The worst part was that Korra had finally embraced her feelings for her and they were finally together loving and being loved by the other and all Asami wanted was to have that happiness and joy continue. But here they were riding fast into the night to try and hunt down the very people trying to ruin everything.

Asami was completely shocked by both Korra’s decision to challenge the room full of thugs and then by her initial reaction to throw one of them bodily across the room. She knew just how strong the Avatar was- having experienced first hand how Korra was almost entirely solid muscle, even if her skin was still surprisingly soft and silky to the touch, but to watch a man more than twice her weight get thrown, seemingly effortlessly was still impressive (and incredibly hot). The following fight that ensued, though short lived was still fierce on account of the number of adversaries and the confined space.

Being an expert in hand-to-hand combat, she was more than comfortable at fighting under such conditions, but when she was met with an almost equally skilled opponent she was stuck in a bit of a deadlock. She was accustomed to dropping her opponents within a matter of seconds, between knowing all of a person’s weak points and having her glove, but as this engagement dragged out with multiple doges, counters, and reversals she was put on the defensive.

As the man moved to engage her again, she saw the slightest tell of an opening that would allow her to bring him down with a shock of her glove, but at the last second, she saw a large rock flying at her. She couldn’t duck or doge if she were to take advantage of the opening she knew she’d have, so she was forced to block and the popping pain in her arm as the rock exploded against it was almost enough to make her regret it. She followed through with her planned takedown and dropped the man- the heat of flames and screams of another assailant clearly indicated that either Korra or Mako had finished the one who had attempted to intervene.

Following the fight, she sighed. She hated everything about this- Korra fighting meant that she was desperate to take this break now so that they could catch up to Aiwei. Tracking down Aiwei likely meant finding Zaheer. Finding Zaheer meant fighting all of those really powerful people, who almost kidnapped Korra. She knew Korra was strong, but she wasn’t invincible and the fact that they had tried to take her alive and helpless had Asami truly shaken. Whatever they wanted had to be truly horrible and the fact that she couldn’t figure out any possible motive only made it worse.

She had moved to the bar, resigned to the reality that they would only be taking a short respite before continuing on and recognizing the importance of staying hydrated and well fed in the desert. Korra was walking over to her, likely to check on her because of her arm, but Asami wasn’t sure she really wanted to talk right now. Nothing Korra could say would make her feel better about this situation and it would only force her to continue to think about how much danger her soulmate was in. All she wanted more than anything was to go back in time to when they first started recruiting airbenders. To have Korra no longer be in danger and to be able to fall asleep in her arms every night. Even if she couldn’t relive the joy of Korra’s love confession- if they were together and happy and _safe_ that would be enough.

“Is your arm okay? I can’t really tell from my side if it’s broken or not.” Korra was hesitantly reaching out towards her injured arm, genuine concern lining her face. That was something she admired and loved about her- Korra was always so concerned about others and the people she cared about. There wasn’t the slightest doubt in Asami’s mind that Korra would travel across the entire world to check in on her if she wanted or needed. There wasn’t a single time that Asami had ever gotten hurt since they had been together that Korra hadn’t tried to make sure she was alright- regardless of whatever condition the Avatar herself was in.

“It’s fine. I’m okay. Why don’t you drink something- you must be thirsty.” Asami tried to smile reassuringly and not sound like she was on the verge of a breakdown. As Korra moved to sit on her left, she pulled the water from her own drink to form a glowing coat around her hands.

“Please let me look at it. I know it hurts and I can help.” Korra was leaning forward, trying to look her in the eyes as she steadily avoided her gaze. Looking at Korra would just remind her of how much she loved her and would rather be in her arms, in bed, in Zaofu, in Republic City or anywhere other than the desert.

“Asami, please. I just want to take care of you.” Korra’s concern was plain to hear and it wasn’t just because of the injury to her soulmate’s arm. As sweet and endearing as it was that Korra wore her heart on her sleeve and always wanted to take care of the people she loved, Asami desperately wished she could be more selfish. If she cared more about herself maybe they wouldn’t have to be chasing down the people that sought to do her harm.

“Why don’t you take care of yourself? Drink and eat. I know you have to be dehydrated.” The hurt in her heart turned her tone cold and cruel, as she turned further away from the Avatar, taking a sip of her own drink and trying to hide her injured arm under the bar itself. Instead of listening to the command of her soulmate, Korra continued to press closer indicating that she was insistent on taking care of Asami before herself.

“Because I love you and I want to do anything I can to take care of you.” Korra whispered barely loud enough for Asami to hear, ensuring that no one else would be privy to their secret. Asami sighed again. She wasn’t being fair- nothing about this situation was Korra’s fault. It wasn’t Korra’s fault that she was the Avatar, or that there were people after her, or that their soulmate bond was at risk of being discovered- Asami was upset because of her own selfish desire to continue to enjoy Korra and shun the rest of the world.

“Here. I’m sorry.” Asami rolled up the sleeve of her Future Industries jacket to allow Korra to inspect and treat the injury. “I love you too.” She whispered back as Korra set to work. It wasn’t long before Korra informed her that the bone wasn’t broken and the pain faded entirely under Korra’s healing hands.

Only once she was satisfied that the injury was healed, did Korra start to drink and eat. Although the Avatar usually ate with gusto, she proved to be particularly ravenous and threatened to drink even more than Naga, who needed a second bucket of water brought to her. Team Avatar did their best to make some small talk between them, but the gravity of their situation had all of them more than a little on edge and the fact that they were surrounded by unconscious would be bounty hunters didn’t help either.

It wasn’t long before she was back behind the wheel of a Zaofu jeep and Korra was once again riding Naga ahead of them. She was going to have to truly apologize to Korra later- it really wasn’t her fault they were in this situation and Asami shouldn’t have been so cold, when all Korra wanted to do was look after her. It was just really hard knowing that there were people who sought to do her soulmate harm, especially when that same soulmate had such a difficult and unforgiving life and continually put herself in danger.

* * *

Naga had been getting more and more excited for the past several miles. They were very close to Aiwei now. Korra knew even before Naga began pawing at the boulder that they had made it to whatever the conclusion of the trail brought them to- it was evident with every step and breath her mount took. She announced the good news as she moved the large boulder to the side to discover the jeep that had no doubt been used by Aiwei to flee from Zaofu. Naga’s displeasure along with the angry smack that accompanied it, was also not unexpected once Korra made it known that she had forgotten treats. Naga wasn’t happy with her and Korra couldn’t be mad about the cold treatment she received- she had pushed Naga very hard to get here so quickly and definitely was deserving of a reward.

It was quickly decided that Mako and Bolin would go and investigate the Misty Palms Oasis, while Korra and Asami stayed behind in case Aiwei returned. Although she would have liked to investigate the town personally, Korra wasn’t going to argue- she was certain to draw more attention than just the bending brothers and being alone with Asami would offer her a chance to try and console her.

As Mako and Bolin began the journey into town, Korra found herself sitting on the cliff, brooding while staring off at the town, at her friends, at the horizon, at nothing at all. Korra wasn’t one to brood- a person of action through and through she’d rather jump into attempting a solution or into any course of action rather than reflect on everything that she had reason to be upset about. But life really seemed to be thoroughly messed up at the present. She barely even admitted it to herself, but the fact that Zaheer had tried to kidnap her while she was paralyzed really had her scared. She had had plenty of people want to kill her or hurt her, but whatever Zaheer’s intentions were seemed to be far more heinous. The worst part was that anything that happened to her affected Asami, and it wasn’t just the shared pain that bothered Korra, it was that the danger she was in was clearly upsetting her soulmate. And then there was the fact that Asami was in danger because Aiwei knew they were soulmates and if Asami got hurt or captured or…

Korra really was at a loss as to what to do and she hugged her knees to her as she sighed. All she wanted was to somehow make Asami happy in the same way that Asami made her happy. Find someway to dispel all of her worries and fears. Every thought and every look and every touch from Asami was enough to set her soaring through the clouds upon waves of joy. She couldn’t do that for Asami though. Her role as Avatar meant that she would always be in some form of danger and ever since Lin showed up in Ba Sing Se, Asami had been anxiously looking at her. It had only grown worse after their love confession. Korra could understand in part- all Asami wanted was for them to be together. Korra wished that they could be together too, but she was the Avatar and everything about that had to come first- Korra couldn’t put her wants before the needs of the world. Even thinking that there could be a difference between the two seemed absurd- she was the Avatar, how could she want anything other than what the Avatar had to do and be?

“Are you okay?” Asami’s sweet voice was calling out to her. Of course she was asking- no doubt she noticed her un-characteristic brooding- maybe even felt her negative emotions. Why hadn’t she asked Asami first? Why was she so bad at being a soulmate and girlfriend? It shouldn’t be so hard to make the woman she loved happy and to lift her up when she was down. But Asami was once again checking in on her and it wouldn’t do any good to avoid the question.

“I’m just frustrated. What does Zaheer want with me? What’s his plan?” Korra was hesitant to even let herself think about the possibilities, but Asami was the one person she could let in behind her walls and show her inner fears to. If nothing else hopefully opening up to Asami would be enough to help show her that she was equally concerned and was taking the threat to her seriously. If Korra were being completely honest though, she was more concerned about the impact to her soulmate than whatever she might have to endure from Zaheer.

“I don’t know, but I think I found a clue.” Asami had a smile on her face, even if it didn’t reach her voice. She held up a piece of paper and read aloud, “Xai Bau’s grove, sundown. This must be where and when Aiwei’s going to meet Zaheer.” As Korra walked over to her at the jeep, Asami had already pulled out a map and began searching for the location. Although they poured over the map for a considerable amount of time and had to shoo away friendly spirits more than once, they couldn’t find Xai Bau’s grove anywhere on the map. Eventually they gave up and accepted the reality that they would need to wait for Mako and Bolin to come back and check in before they began the difficult process of locating somewhere that wasn’t on a map.

“I’m sorry for being so cold to you earlier. I wasn’t being fair to you- none of this is your fault.” Asami had an arm around her shoulders as they leaned against Aiwei’s jeep, once again speaking up first and comforting her, when she should have been the one to do both of those things. Seriously, why was being a soulmate so hard? Korra was looking up into the beautiful jade green eyes that melted with so much compassion. “I just wish that your life wasn’t in danger and we could go back to…”

Korra cut her off, reaching one hand behind her head and pulling her in for a deep and tender kiss. She had been trying ever since she woke up from the shirshu toxin to think of something to say to comfort Asami. She wasn’t good with words- for all the speeches she gave and all the press conferences she was required to hold as the Avatar, she really didn’t know how to articulate everything she thought. But with Asami, Korra could tell her everything she felt with a kiss- she didn’t need to struggle or trip over her words- she had done that enough before they officially started dating.

The future was uncertain, Zaheer’s motives were uncertain, whether or not their soulmate bond would be discovered was uncertain, but the one thing Korra knew was that she loved Asami and nothing that her soulmate ever did or said could sway those feelings. Asami had nothing to apologize for- Korra should be the one apologizing for everything- for all of the trouble and pain and heartache that her life brought. Korra deepened the kiss pulling Asami flush against her and cupping her cheek while her other hand continued to tangle itself in the engineer’s long dark locks.

It wasn’t until her lungs burned for air that she finally broke the kiss, but kept their faces close together, noses touching. “You don’t have to apologize for anything. I’m sorry that things are so complicated right now, but once we take care of Zaheer, I promise we’ll have more time together.” She wasn’t sure how much “more time” constituted- there were bound to be greater forces at play that would require her attention, but maybe, just maybe she could give Asami a few weeks of undivided attention. Nothing and no one interrupting them so they could just be, just like she knew her soulmate wanted.

Now it was Asami who was pulling her into a deep kiss, expressing all of her worry and hope and joy that came with Korra’s promise. Asami could’ve found the words- she always knew what to say and exactly what the Avatar was thinking, but whenever their feelings choked their words- they said everything with a kiss. Saying more without words than they could with. It was just as Asami’s hands began to glide lower over her back that they were interrupted.

“Ahem,” Mako cleared his throat. “We found Aiwei and rented a room at an inn across from where he’s staying. We can hide out there and spy on him.” It was moments like these that proved how well Team Avatar could work together sometimes- even without knowing about the meeting at sundown, Mako had instinctively made the right move for their situation.

As the hours passed and their room at the inn seemed to shrink in size, Korra found herself marveling at the fact that in addition to all of her other skills and talents- Asami was a top notch Pai Sho player. Even if Bolin wasn’t the best opponent, being able to best him twenty-something times in a row was impressive. Korra had never learned to play herself, but did promise to both learn and standardize the rules- just for Bolin, once she got around to it. Asami was more than happy to teach her, but for all that Korra sat behind her, arms wrapped securely around Asami’s waist- she couldn’t quite focus on actually learning the rules. Korra was far more focused on the wonderful feeling of holding the woman she loved and couldn’t stop her smile from continually broadening as Asami slowly relaxed completely in her arms- the heartache eventually fading away to nothing. Maybe this was what she could do for Asami- be strong, unwavering, and resolute, she could be someone to hold her and protect her- her own personal Avatar bringing peace and balance to her world.

As sundown came, Korra lost her patience- Aiwei hadn’t left his room for sometime and she was going to get answers. Although there was a general protest against barging into his room, everyone followed after her and no one actually stopped her from kicking the door in. Much to their joint surprise however, it appeared Aiwei was to meet Zaheer in the spirit world. Korra wasted no time- she had to stop Aiwei from spilling the identity of her soulmate bond. Assuming the lotus position- she emptied her mind and a moment later was in the spirit world- looking at Aiwei who stood facing away not far from her.

* * *

“Uh, I don’t know how, but water arm lady and lava guy found us.” Mako spoke in a low, but alarmed tone as he looked out the window. At once Bolin and Asami snapped to attention and even Pabu and Naga looked up. Asami felt sick as the anxiety threatened to choke her- Korra was still meditating in the spirit world and last time they fought these criminals they had the support of Zaofu guards.

Had Aiwei planned on being followed? Had something happened to Korra in the spirit world? How did they find them? How were they going to fight off the criminals? How were they going to protect Korra? How much did they know? How had any of this happened? Asami finally managed to choke out the question that plagued her mind, “How?”

“I just said I don’t know how.” Mako’s retort only served to point out both how dumb her question was and drive in the point that they knew almost nothing about these criminals, which only served to make her mad and more worried. This couldn’t be happening. Korra needed to wake up- even with her support there was no telling how this fight would go.

Bolin was already shaking Korra by the shoulders, gently at first, but quickly began jostling her with significant force as her head rolled around, all the while begging her to wake up already. If their situation hadn’t been so dire, Asami would have reprimanded him for treating her so roughly, especially considering she felt a stiff twinge in her own neck as Korra’s head bounced around, but right now a little rough handling was well worth it- if Korra woke up.

Though she would never admit to it, Asami was almost paralyzed with fear- what should they do? Korra needed to wake up. They needed reinforcements. They needed to hide or otherwise run away from the criminals. Korra needed to be safe- somehow, someway, no matter what.

“Get Korra out of here.” Mako spoke while lifting the Avatar’s still form and tossing her somewhat roughly onto Naga’s back. He held her semi-upright while she all but collapsed. “Bolin and I will hold them off.” Thank the spirits for Mako and his clear headedness, but what about them? Asami doubted very much if they could actually contend with water arm lady and lava guy for very long. No matter how incredible the bending brothers were these criminals proved to be exceptionally dangerous.

Seeing the resolve on their faces and having no other options, Asami found herself climbing up behind Korra, trying to manage keeping her upright, while grabbing a firm hold of Naga’s reigns. There were still so many unresolved issues- where should she take Korra? Where would they meet up afterwards? What if she ran into Zaheer or the tall combustion bender woman? What if Korra didn’t wake up or something happened to her in the spirit world- not that she felt any pain- but?

No time. There was no time. Mako had already opened the door and Naga being as smart as she was had already launched herself forward- no doubt understanding that her master was in great danger. Naga peeled off around the corner and Asami struggled to stay upright as Korra’s limp body threatened to fall off entirely. The sounds of ice shattering, followed by rock and fire shooting off told her that the battle had already begun. She might not have any clue on where to actually go- but anywhere away from the people after Korra was a good direction. Out of town. That was where she’d go.

Asami wished she understood more when Korra had tried giving her polar bear dog riding lessons back in the South Pole. She tried very hard to understand how Korra and Naga communicated and read each other, but failed miserably. When she tried riding Naga alone the polar bear dog was clearly displeased at what were no doubt confusing and contradictory commands from the reigns and her feet. As they sped out of town Asami tried to urge Naga to run faster and faster- they had to get away and quickly. She had no idea if she was pushing too hard or if Naga was having trouble managing the weight. If Korra were awake, she could boost Naga’s speed with her bending and would know exactly why her animal companion gave a half whine every so often, but she was still in the spirit world- her head bobbing and jumbling around against Asami’s chest with every bump.

They had made it out of the Misty Palms Oasis and were running up a large hill. Asami chanced a glance behind her- maybe she would see some sign that Mako and Bolin had somehow been victorious or at the very least know if the criminals were giving chase to her and her soulmate. Nothing. She saw nothing except the shrinking view of the oasis. As she turned back to look forward she gasped in fear. Shadows- people maybe a dozen were surrounding the road. A huge slab of earth rose up in front of them, Naga tried to stop, no doubt to turn and run around it, but another two slabs rose up on their sides. Naga practically jumped to face the direction that they had come and it was all Asami could do to hold on and keep ahold of Korra. Yet another slab rose up and they were trapped in total darkness inside a pyramid of earth.

This was bad. This was very bad. She couldn’t be sure who those figures were, but they obviously wanted to take them alive- otherwise the walls would have already begun to close in.

“Korra, my love, I need you to wake up- _now_.” Asami whispered in her soulmate’s ear, as she got off of Naga’s saddle, lowering Korra’s body to the ground with her. She opted to lay Korra gently on her back and almost envied how peaceful she looked- under better circumstances she could have stared until those blue blue eyes opened and then she could begin taking Korra’s lips in her own, feeling the sweet and tender way Korra would sigh in delight, before… But no time for those thoughts now. She jammed her fingernail into her palm- hard. She couldn’t be sure that Korra could even sense it in the spirit world- Katara had told them once there was a bit of a disconnect between body and spirit, but she had to try.

There was movement and voices coming from outside their prison. She couldn’t make out the words, but it was no doubt about some plan to actually restrain them. Asami pulled on her glove and took a defensive stance in the middle of the small space. Naga had already moved to stand protectively over her master and Asami was going to do much the same. If anyone wanted to get to Korra, then they would have to go through them.

Naga let a low growl out of her throat, just before the wall she was facing came tumbling down on top of her. Asami jumped back and pressed her back into the opposite wall to avoid the collapsing earth. The polar bear dog let out a pained yelp before collapsing and staying still. Naga likely could have avoided the brunt of the impact, but had chosen to remain in place- her body shielded Korra from the entirety of the wall. With one of the walls to the prison gone and the moonlight once again illuminating the landscape Asami saw that she was surrounded by Earth Kingdom soldiers. _They can’t be with Zaheer then- this must be because of the queen’s wanted posters._

The realization that it was the Earth Queen’s forces that were presently trying to capture the Avatar, wasn’t any relief- the Earth Queen didn’t have any good intentions for Korra either. Asami was vastly outnumbered- there wasn’t time to count to be sure, but there were at least eight spread out across her field of vision and likely more behind her. She had her glove, but she had to be close to use it and any earthbenders present could attack her from afar. Although there were a few men armed with spears the sheer number of them meant that she would have trouble even if she didn’t have to contend with benders who could turn the very ground she stood on into a weapon.

If she were to have any chance at keeping Korra safe- she’d have to strike first and strike hard. She didn’t have to win, just draw their attention and buy enough time for Korra to wake up, which she _really_ had to do now. She couldn’t go all out from the very beginning- her one advantage was they there was no way they could know just how fast, flexible, strong and skilled she was. If she went all out from the beginning then anyone outside of her immediate targets would know what to prepare for and with so many adversaries she couldn’t have that. She’d have to try and hold back, just slightly, so that she could surprise them a second time when she suddenly moved faster and more dexterously.

Preemptive strike. She began running forward toward the first unarmed soldier in front of her- no weapon meant that he was likely a bender and therefore more dangerous than a non-bender (although the irony that she herself was a non-bender didn’t escape her). Indeed as soon as she started to move all of the soldiers reacted and though she dodged and wove and slid to avoid the earth projectiles launched at her and get close enough to bring the first man down with a shock of her glove, it would only prove to get more difficult after that. Thankfully she had made modifications to her glove- there weren’t any bulky parts that might get caught or struck by an attack and even at only half power it was more than enough to drop an opponent unconscious instantly.

Two soldiers armed with spears were already charging her as more rocks were being launched by the benders behind them. Asami grappled and spun some more tangling the soldiers with their own weapons as she brought the shock glove to keep them down. Already the variety of the attacks launched at her varied and stones of various sizes began flying at her from more diverse directions and different speeds.

Surprise number two- she was faster and far more flexible than she had shown them already. Though no attack landed on her the distance to her next closest target was already far and she would have to be ready to dodge _another_ volley. Even still she dodged the flying rocks with enough grace and fluidity to make an airbender jealous. However, as she neared the next earthbender soldier the ground beneath her feet began to shake and crumble. Rather than be at the mercy of whatever bending move they intended Asami put all of her strength into her legs and jumped high, practically tackling her target while shocking him with her glove. Four down.

Now she was in trouble- real trouble. They already saw just how fast and skilled she was and as she moved toward her next opponent, the soldiers adapted yet again. Between the flying bits of stone and the crumbling of the earth around her feet she was struggling to keep her forward momentum going. Just as she was about to find sure footing, an entire slab of earth upended itself and she was sent sprawling. She wasted no time in regaining her footing, but just as she did a huge stone hit her square in the chest knocking the wind out of her.

She gasped for breath and tried to go back on the offensive- if she stayed still she was done for. But another volley of stones was launched and she was too winded to dodge efficiently. Rocks battered her sides and she tried to shield her face. Pain peppered her body as the stones no doubt left serious bruises and some even cut into her face. _Keep going. Protect Korra._ She stumbled forward barely faster than a jog. She didn’t see it, but felt the impact as a large stone struck the back of her head. Her vision went white and the next thing she saw was sand in her face.

Asami was disoriented and her head threatened to split open with every beat of her heart. People were around her and they were placing metal bindings on her wrists as her hands were pulled behind her back and her glove taken from her. Two men dragged her forward by the shoulders and left her slumped in the sand on her knees. Already a jeep had been pulled up near where Korra still laid unconscious.

Asami felt sick and horrified as she was forced to watch the soldiers enjoy themselves far too much with restraining the Avatar. They told crude jokes and clearly relished groping, squeezing and prodding private flesh that only Asami had ever been granted access to, all while stuffing her into straight jackets and clamps and straps. No matter how hard she pulled at her wrists she couldn’t break the handcuffs and she couldn’t reach her head to try and pick them with a hairpin and every time she tried struggling to her feet to try and fight off the men surrounding the woman she loved she was forced roughly back onto her knees by the soldiers who stood guarding her. It would be hours before Korra awoke. After a long and painful drive and then being transferred to a small cell after Korra was further secured into a muzzle and bound against a dolly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a few short notes on this chapter: I realize I’m not that great at writing fight scenes, but I tried (really hard if you can believe it) and I personally don’t think they came out terrible. I can live with them, so I hope you can too. Did Naga taking that blow to shield Korra pull at your heartstrings? Because it definitely did mine! As for Asami’s fight against the Earth Queen’s forces I think Asami did about as well as she could have facing such odds, but I genuinely hope you do not perceive her failure as a detriment to how strong of a character she is. On that note- can’t Korra still feel Asami’s pain in the Spirit World? Yes- the next chapter will ultimately give you a little more insight into that (again- there is a disconnect between body and spirit in my headcannon). Now, that absolutely disgusting image at the end- yeah that’s awful, but I don’t see any other way that could play out. Really- thinking about what actually would have had to happen to get Korra’s completely limp body bound the way she is…  
> If anyone wants to create an off-shoot of this story/AU where Korra and Asami get captured by the Red Lotus instead, filled with torture, mental trauma, brainwashing, angst, etc etc, I believe that could make for a very compelling narrative (and no I don’t plan on writing that, at least not until this story is finished). As always, I thank you very much for reading and welcome any/all comments and constructive criticism.


	11. Chapter 48: The Desert

"Zaheer you tricked me! Let me go! Asami you’re hurt! Are you okay? Where’s the rest of the Red Lotus?” Korra’s eyes were wide as she yelled, clearly panicking. She struggled futilely against her many bindings, barely so much as making them jingle. No doubt waking up in pain from their soulmate bond, bound in an overly constrictive manner and clearly having been threatened by Zaheer had her shaken.

All Asami felt, however, was defeated. After Korra had been secured to the dolly, the soldiers had shifted her bound hands in front of her and had them secured to the ceiling of the small room. But even once she was secured in place, they didn’t immediately vacate the room. The four soldiers she had electrocuted with her glove stood before her asking if “The pretty lady still wanted to play.” She had remained silent, careful to avoid making eye contact with any of them, in the vain hope that they would leave after taunting her some more. The first punch was to her gut- making her gasp and knocking the wind from her lungs. The second was to her right side- hard enough to knock her off her feet, making her swing by her wrists. She quickly lost count after that, but each time she made the mistake of kicking out her legs or trying to use her arms as a shield- they intensified the blows. They never struck her face- saying they wanted to see such a pretty face begging, but even once she gave in and begged they kept up the assault- punishment for shocking them.

They left shortly before Korra woke up. In the aftermath of the beating, Asami had completely lost her will to fight, as she practically hung from her wrists and her hands grew numb. Her body ached like she had never experienced before- how she imagined getting hit by a satomobile at full speed would feel. She was fairly certain that none of her ribs actually broke under the assault, but they certainly ached like they had come close to doing so.

“What’s the Red Lotus? And Zaheer didn’t capture us. The Earth Queen’s forces did.” Asami spoke softly, while swallowing the blood in her mouth. There was no sense in attracting the guards’ attention and she neatly avoided Korra’s question about her welfare- how was she even supposed to begin to describe how she felt? How no matter how much physical pain she was in the worst part was being unable to protect Korra and having to watch how she was handled and treated.

Fortunately, Korra didn’t seem to notice that she failed to respond to the inquiry about her welfare and instead wanted to know where they were and what happened to Mako and Bolin. Asami didn’t have all the answers- or any answers really. Even if she left out most of the details, it was still hard to think back on just how much had happened the previous day. Korra continued to struggle in her bindings for the duration of her explanation as to what happened and likely could have made some leeway if not for the sheer number of bindings that had her very securely and cruelly bound. Despite all of the pain she was in, Asami was still able to feel the worst instances of Korra’s predicament, there were more than a few places that were no doubt bruising and other more sensitive areas were being painfully constricted as well.

In a last ditch effort, Korra even attempted to ignite a flame in her hands and breathe fire, but neither proved effective- succeeding only in giving herself some minor burns. Once Korra finally gave up on trying to get free and had been fully updated on the events she missed while in the spirit world, Korra moved on to discussing her side of the story.

Zaheer’s plans for her remained a mystery, but he was part of a terrorist group known as the Red Lotus. Since she had interrupted the meeting between Aiwei and Zaheer, Zaheer opted to trap Aiwei in some sort of spirit prison, where he would be unable to tell anyone about their soulmate bond. She had apparently felt some minor prickling in her spiritual body, but didn’t think much of it- having assumed if something had gone wrong she’d receive their signal and she was far more concerned with trying to get as much information about the Red Lotus as possible especially after discovering her Uncle Unalaq was part of their organization and the kidnap attempt when she was little. But after the all too brief update Korra began pressing her for details on what her injuries were and how she could help. Worst of all she was asking about the cause for the emotional pain she felt.

Only Korra. Only Korra would be focused on trying to figure out if she could pull water from the air and heal Asami from afar and only Korra would want to try and comfort her when they were clearly in dire straights. Asami didn’t want to talk about any of it right now. There was nothing that Korra could do and more than anything Asami _didn’t_ want to relive the terrible night. But she appeased her soulmate, if she didn’t it would only upset Korra and cause her to worry more. A general discussion of her suspected injuries and the promise to let Korra look her over with healing water at the first chance they got would end that conversation. As far as why she was upset- Korra would just have to accept it was a culmination of events that they could break down once they were actually free. Maybe they would be able to escape during their transport to Ba Sing Se, when there would be the least guards around.

* * *

Korra’s hopes that Mako and Bolin would somehow come to rescue them had slowly dwindled to nothing as the hours passed and dawn signaled the start of a new day. A new day that apparently was going to involve them getting loaded onto an Earth Kingdom airship with that same dawn, to bring them to the Earth Queen in Ba Sing Se. Korra had also hoped that once the guards came and she explained that she knew with absolute certainty that the Earth Queen was in danger from a bunch of crazy terrorists that they would either release the Avatar to protect the queen or at the very least be prepared for an attack. She was met with nothing but laughs and suggestions that she was insane. Why did people always doubt that the Avatar could discover information from the spirit world while meditating? Considering everything else that she was capable of it really shouldn’t be that surprising or outlandish.

Even though she recognized that it was likely futile, Korra continued to pull at her bindings. It was highly doubtful that she would ever be able to get out, considering just how completely and effectively she was bound, but the ever so slight jingle of the chains and the fact that she could _almost_ rotate her wrist after hours of effort was just enough hope and motivation to keep her trying. The pain from being bound and having her blood flow constricted was starting to become something much more than a nuisance- but the worst part was her throat. Between her yelling, being in the desert, and having gone without proper nourishment she was terribly thirsty and her throat was dry.

The soulmate pain was significant as well. Korra hadn’t felt this battered and bruised since she had mastered earthbending. Asami had repeatedly assured her that her injuries weren’t that serious- bruises from getting hit by various earthbending attacks while getting captured. However, the general ache covered her body, which seemed odd if Asami had only been hit by some earthen projectiles and earth pillars. The more she thought about it, the more it didn’t add up, but Asami wouldn’t lie to her… Maybe what Asami said was true and the explanation for the widespread ache was she had been hit from multiple directions? That was possible and Korra ultimately came to the conclusion that Asami was likely a bit more injured than she was letting on, but downplaying the intensity so she wouldn’t worry. Korra was just going to have to watch her soulmate carefully- if there was any reason to suspect that her injuries were serious then she’d have to find some way to heal her.

The dolly she was strapped to was secured against the wall of the airship with even more chains, when she finally gave in to her thirst by asking for water, promising herself that if they did actually remove her muzzle so that she could drink that she wouldn’t turn the opportunity into an escape attempt. The response she received about how they weren’t going to bring her water, fire, or earth and apparently would deny her air as well if it were possible was almost amusing if she weren’t so helpless. They likely thought they were keeping her without any means of bending, but didn’t realize that she could metalbend the entirety of the airship and somehow forgot that she could create her own fire. As for water… even in the desert there were still trace amounts she could pull from the air if she were truly desperate (although that would also prove to be extremely exhausting in such an arid climate)- not that any of that mattered so long as she were in these bindings.

What made the Avatar livid, however, was watching how her soulmate was treated. The soldiers that transferred them to the airship crew made more than a few obscene jokes and gestures, about her appearance and even the young man chaining her to the railing only did so because she flirted with him and couldn’t stop staring at her body. It made her sick even as she saw red- Asami was _her_ soulmate, no one was allowed to touch her or treat her badly- not if the Avatar had anything to say about.

“I swear, when I get out of here- they’re all going to pay for treating you that way.” Korra had been having a hard time taking her eyes off of Asami as well, but for an entirely different reason. As the hours wore on and the lighting improved, Korra began to see just how battered and wounded her soulmate was. She knew it was bad well before she could see the evidence- she felt each pang and every ache Asami was subjected to, but to see the bruises on her wrists and cuts mar the perfect skin of her beautifully delicate face set Korra ready to rage. Her blood began to truly boil, though, at the way the soldiers at the camp looked at her like she was a piece of meat to be enjoyed and discarded.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s nothing compared to what they did to you.” The way Asami said it, while refusing to look anywhere in her direction turned Korra’s blood to ice in an instant. What had they done to her while she was still in the Spirit World? She didn’t feel like she had been… or that… but she couldn’t be sure, especially now that she realized just what would have happened to get her into these bindings. She swallowed hard not even noticing her dry throat protesting the action. She couldn’t let herself think about that now, she’d need clarification from Asami later, but for now she’d have to focus on the task at hand- escaping. That was what all of her Avatar training was for- pushing through pain, fear, and any other horrifying thoughts that might plague her. All the same- she didn’t have even the slightest idea about how she was going to escape.

“I have a plan- these airships Cabbage Corp sold to the Earth Kingdom are way cheaper than the ones Future Industries built.” As Asami spoke, she lifted her feet off the ground and placed them on the wall behind her. She supported all of her weight on the chains on her wrists and began pushing off the wall with all her strength. The ache in Korra’s wrists jumped to new heights, as it seemed like her own hands were going to pop off. She was about to tell Asami to stop whatever she was trying to do because it was clearly hurting her a lot, but just as the pain shot up even higher, Korra heard popping in both of Asami’s wrists as the screws that held the railing to the wall came out entirely.

“That’s just shoddy workmanship.” Asami had a smile on her face that suggested she was very pleased with herself, despite the pain, as she jumped over the railing so that her hands were no longer bound behind her back. It was moments like this that proved with absolute certainty Asami was the most amazing woman in the world and the perfect soulmate. Whenever anyone looked to them for help- all eyes were always on the Avatar, but Korra and indeed anyone paying attention knew that Asami was the far more capable one. Korra admired her so much- she was brilliant, gorgeous and more than capable enough to keep up with the Avatar. In truth Asami was the only person to ever match her intensity- who else would physically rip a railing off the wall to escape?

Even still, there was so much Korra wanted to ask about, more details about what happened while she was in the spirit world, how Asami’s wrists were given what she just did, and what the follow up to her plan was- they were still trapped in this cell and it was clear that even if the metal railing was used as a weapon the locks securing the Avatar couldn’t be broken. Asami’s plan apparently went further than she had realized. Already the engineer had begun to use the railing as a lever to pull up a piece of the floor. After Asami succeeded in prying open a panel in the floor, she turned her attention back to the Avatar, “I’m going to get the keys. When I give the signal- start yelling for help.” Asami didn’t even wait for acknowledgement, opting to immediately start crawling into the floor. Doing so afforded Korra an excellent view of her rear as it swayed and shook, while Asami began crawling toward wherever the space led. She couldn’t enjoy the view however, there was far too much on her mind and their situation didn’t allow for any happy or lighthearted thoughts.

It was only a few minutes before Korra felt their usual signal- three pulses in her hand and she didn’t waste a second before following through and yelling for the guard. It was just as the guard was peering through the viewing slot in the door that she saw him smack into it. Asami walked in somewhat triumphantly already unlocking the bindings on her wrists. It took much more time than either of them would have imagined to finally get Korra freed from all of the straightjackets and straps and chains and so many different bindings that every part of her seemed to be connected to every other part. It was almost a compliment that so much effort was put into restraining her, even if she was unconscious at the time, they clearly recognized how dangerous the Avatar could be.

It was only as the muzzle fell away from her face and she was finally able to step away from the dolly that she had been strapped to that Asami suddenly embraced her, clutching tightly- seemingly afraid that they might never be in physical contact again. Korra squeezed her back just as tightly, it was perfectly clear that her soulmate needed a moment of comfort and given everything she had been through, Korra was inclined to give it to her. Even if she didn’t have all the details- the pain Korra felt was more than enough to indicate it had been incredibly hard on her.

“I’m sorry for everything that happened.” Asami spoke softly and Korra didn’t have a chance to respond before Asami’s lips were on her own. Her soulmate was kissing feverishly with eyes closed, like she was in a daze or trying to forget about reality and before she knew it Asami was running her hands all over her body, sending sparks of pleasure and easing the ache of their pain. As good as this felt and as much as Korra may have liked to give the woman she loved the comfort and tenderness she clearly needed at the moment- she couldn’t. She had a duty to perform. The Avatar had to finish escaping from the Earth Queen’s troops, find out if Mako and Bolin were okay and where they were, and continue to try and get a warning out about the dangers the Red Lotus posed to world leaders.

“Come on. We have to take control of the ship.” Korra broke the kiss and stilled Asami’s hands. Seeing the mixture of hurt and fear in the green eyes as they opened to look into her own- flicking back and forth between them- searching for comfort and reassurance, Korra hesitated. As important as everything else was, Asami needed this moment, needed to believe that despite everything that happened that things would be okay. Korra pulled her soulmate back in for another kiss, this one tender, steady, and soft- promising that it wouldn’t be long before they would be together and everything would be alright again. As their kiss deepened a familiar metallic taste entered Korra’s mouth- blood. Asami was definitely hurting more than she was letting on, which meant that Korra was definitely going to have to heal her at the first opportunity that presented itself.

It was only once, her soulmate finally pulled away that Korra took her hand and began leading them through the airship. They met no resistance on the way and as they came to the cockpit Korra kicked in the door with enough force to dent it as it nearly sailed off its hinges, even though she didn’t bolster her move with any bending at all. There were two men in the room- one the captain who was calling in over the radio that she escaped and the other- the co-captain who was running at her. Not wanting to badly injure either man, she opted to use airbending and sent a few torrents of air that caused them to collide with great force against the front of the ship. As they fell to the ground unconscious, Asami rushed ahead to get control of the airship.

“I think you might have been a little overaggressive with the airbending. The controls are busted. Also, you broke the radio.” The engineer emphasized her statements by lifting the steering wheel, which was sparking and partially crumbled in her hands and by picking up what fragments of the radio were left intact. Korra could only assume that such an announcement, coupled with Asami’s lack of action thereafter, meant that it was impossible to stop the airship from continuing to fall from the sky and subsequently crash.

“Well, maybe if you gave me those airship flying lessons, I would have known to airbend them in a different direction! Besides it’s not my fault this airship is a hunk of junk!” A feeble defense at best, when she should’ve recognized how delicate the airship was and flying lessons or not it should have been obvious that she was blasting the crew into the controls. Korra quickly apologized and grabbed Asami tightly to her. If they were going to crash then she’d have to cushion their landing in a vortex of air- they didn’t need anymore bruises or even worse a broken bone.

* * *

“Well, they say any landing you can walk away from is a good landing. But given our location, I’m not so sure about that.” Asami was speaking as she and Korra stepped up the ladder onto the top of the airship. She had been about to advise her soulmate that they would need to hang on and brace for a crash, but all she ended up having to do was hang on to her girlfriend as they bounced harmlessly around in a vortex of air Korra had whipped up to keep them safe. She was very grateful that Korra was as strong as she was- it was only thanks to the Avatar’s unwavering bending ability that they were lucky to avoid any more injuries from crashing. This wasn’t the first time that Korra had protected her with her powerful bending or her raw strength and it likely wouldn’t be the last. Each time was incredibly romantic, something right out of one of her sappy romance novels and the fact that it was real and it was Korra saving her sent her heart soaring and heat flushing through her.

It was even more endearing and sweet to hear Korra’s eternal optimism and faith in her engineering ability, even though it was likely misplaced. Could she get the airship to fly again? If Korra was up to the task of metalbending _all_ of the propellers back into shape _and_ able to dig out the entire airship, there was still a lot of damage done to the controls in the cockpit and most of the steering mechanisms she could see. Maybe? Maybe if they cannibalized everything non-essential to the airship and had enough of the right tools or the means for her to make some makeshift tools? It would take hours. And they were in the middle of the desert- in desperate need of food and water and there was no guarantee of success. She would never say so aloud, but even the thought of being strapped into a harness to work on various sections of the external steering mechanisms on the airship made her want to wince. Everything still hurt from the beating she received and all of the work required would be very painful in addition to difficult.

“Is everyone alright?” Korra was already looking to make sure that the crew wasn’t injured after both being knocked out by their escape and by the subsequent crash landing. Despite the genuine concern in her voice, the crew was skeptical of their intentions and had already taken up attack positions, intent on keeping them prisoner until their reinforcements showed up.

“You realize I’m the Avatar, right? You don’t want to fight me.” Korra was once again surprised that anyone would be foolish enough to try and challenge her and Asami was highly inclined to agree. Now that Korra was awake there was no chance they could capture her again. Even without Asami’s help (since she still didn’t have her glove back and wasn’t really up for a fight at the moment), Korra could easily best the airship crew. But it wasn’t until Asami pointed out the very ominous moving sand dune that even the captain agreed to help them in their effort to get the airship flying again.

As the small crew worked with them to repair the airship, they quickly realized that neither the Avatar nor her engineer companion were harboring any ill intent for them and over the next couple of hours even warmed up to them- sharing both food and water. Korra had instantly wanted to use her ration of water to try and heal Asami’s wounds, but a stern look and sharp comment about how she needed to keep her strength up was all it took to make the Avatar back down and drink- finally relieving some of the dehydration she was experiencing. Even though the heat was oppressive and the sun continued to beat down on her, Asami opted to keep her Future Industries jacket on- taking it off would reveal all of the bruises and that would only cause Korra to become upset and try to heal her. The last thing they needed right now was for Korra to exhaust herself before they finished escaping from their current predicament.

The repair work itself wasn’t too difficult and the airship was stocked with enough of the necessary tools to facilitate that process. Even still Asami was struggling. The heat was oppressively bearing down on her and the heat from all of the necessary welding was only fatiguing her more. By far the worst part was the way the harness pressed painfully into her. She wasn’t going to take it off- accidentally falling off the side of the airship was a much worse fate than being forced to wear it. However, as she worked on the external control mechanisms the harness constricted her torso and made her bruised body ache even more.

Korra wasn’t fairing particular well either from what she could tell. The heat was at least partially getting to her- even if she was able to help regulate her body temperature with her bending. More than anything else though- Korra was exhausted. It was subtle and likely only recognizable to her since they spent so much time together, but between the long previous day and the fact Korra continued to struggle in her bindings for hour after hour- she was beginning to run out of her almost endless stamina. Asami wasn’t quite certain whether or not meditating into the spirit world and speaking with Zaheer was actually restful for her body, but even if it was- Korra still was conscious in some capacity and the mental fatigue had to be at least partially weighing on her.

It was just as they were beginning to start up the engines and Asami had come to the conclusion that she had indeed been successful in enabling the airship to be able to limp out of the desert that a massive sandshark came flying up from the desert floor and ripped the airship to shreds. As they ran for cover from the flying debris, Asami was infinitely grateful she had insisted that Korra learn metalbending, even with the pain that came with it. It was only thanks to the Avatar’s combined efforts of airbending and metalbending that none of the debris came falling down on top of anyone and they remained unharmed.

“How far are we to the edge of the desert?” Korra had apparently already made up her mind about the next course of action. Even if a “rescue” ship was on its way- that didn’t change the fact that all of the Earth Queen’s forces still wanted to take them prisoner, even if their present company had warmed up to them. Asami shook her head and sighed, no matter how close to the edge of the desert they were- it was too far to walk- if that had been an option to begin with they wouldn’t have bothered trying to fix the airship. They would need another form of transportation.

Korra really was beat- Asami could feel it. Between both of their untreated injuries, she was in a fair amount of pain and even with what little food and water had been shared with them- she was still drained. That was significant- Korra’s stamina was almost endless- if she was getting tired that was more telling about her condition than anything else. Even still, maybe Korra could push a little harder for a while longer, there was no doubt she’d try to if Asami asked. Korra would do anything for her- or die trying. Asami couldn’t be sure exactly how much she was really asking for- as far as she knew she could be asking for the impossible, but with Korra’s bending ability, maybe they could…

“We might have enough material here to construct a make-shift sand-sailer. Like the sandbenders use to get around. Korra, could you power it?” Every time she referred to the Avatar by name, everyone looked between the two of them like it was the strangest thing they’d ever heard. The crew exclusively referred to Korra, as ‘The Avatar’ and it seemed that they never considered the idea that ‘The Avatar’ was a person who could have friends or a soulmate who would use her name instead of her title. Really- did no one ever think about the fact that Korra had a family and friends? Probably not. The world was only concerned with ‘Avatar Korra’ and it was still something that made Asami feel for her soulmate.

Between Korra’s assurances and Asami’s determination they all worked together to build a very rough, but functional makeshift sand-sailer. Before long they were sailing out of the desert- and with Asami steering they would be heading back toward the Misty Palms Oasis, hopefully to find Mako and Bolin. Although the sandshark returned, Korra simply unleashed a massive jet of fire that served to both accelerate their speed and discourage the creature from trying to eat them again. As the sun was setting they arrived back in Misty Palms Oasis and they parted from the Earth Kingdom airmen on good terms- the conflict between the Queen and Avatar well above their pay grade- even going so far as to return Asami’s equalist glove.

Asami was more than a little relieved when Korra was tackled by Naga- having seen an earth wall come crashing down on her the night prior had left Asami unsure if she was alright. As soon as she was back on her feet, Korra was pulling her along, insisting that Naga had something important to show them, once again demonstrating that Korra was apparently a polar bear dog interpreter in addition to the Avatar. They entered a tavern to discover, Tonraq, Lord Zuko and a very angry Lin sitting around a table.

Evidently Lin’s detective skills enabled them all to find the location where they had tracked Aiwei and though there was some joy at finding Korra and her soulmate to be safe and sound, there was far more bad news than good. The Red Lotus had captured Mako and Bolin and had already made the trip to Ba Sing Se and assassinated the Earth Queen. They couldn’t be sure what Zaheer’s next move was, but they now needed to rescue the rest their friends, protect the Avatar and also try and protect every other world leader. Ba Sing Se had been thrown into chaos with the Queen’s death- rioting, looting and general lawlessness taking over the entire city- just as Zaheer wanted- a world of disorder.

* * *

Despite all of the problems that had to be solved, Korra had insisted on putting them off until tomorrow- opting to rent the nicest room available in Misty Palms Oasis. Lin had been the most disgruntled, wanting to head back to Zaofu and the extra protection it afforded before dragging the Avatar back to Republic City. The presence of both her father and Lord Zuko had allowed Korra to win the argument, however. She needed to rest. Asami needed to rest. They needed a big dinner, lots of water, and time to treat their injuries.

Dinner with everyone had been full of tension. There were too many problems that they had to try and solve and Lin had been about ready to snap because they ditched her back in Zaofu and because of Korra’s continual refusal to hide in Republic City under her protection. The continual ache and pangs that she shared with Asami didn’t help either- only reminding her of how much her soulmate suffered while she was in the Spirit World. That guilt threatened to eat her alive. How had she forgotten that she wasn’t going to feel pain to the same degree while separated from her body? If she had or if she actually paid enough attention to notice the frequency of the prickling in her body while talking with Zaheer then she probably could have protected Asami like she was supposed to. How was it she managed to fail at everything she tried to do? People were unhappy about Harmonic Convergence, the vines in Republic city were still there, her hunt for airbenders was on hold, and she couldn’t even keep her soulmate safe.

She had to try and push all of that from her mind- right now what mattered was taking care of Asami. Korra wasn’t one to focus on material things, but had insisted on getting the nicest room available in Misty Palms because it was the only one that had a private tub. As far as Korra could feel, Asami’s wounds covered her body- practically from head to tow and it would be much easier to heal her all at once while submerged than it would be to do targeted healing. It would also be less tiring to heal in such a manner and Korra was more than a little exhausted from the very long and very draining previous two days. She wasn’t as skilled as Master Katara, but she was still more than capable of mimicking the effect.

As Korra walked with Asami into their “luxurious” room, she all but collapsed against the door closing it behind them. The room was barely separated into two sections- one with a bed and some empty space and another with a bathtub carved into the floor with a curtain separating the two. Asami had her fixed with a look, clearly concerned over her evident exhaustion. She was tired- a long day of intense bending with very little food, water, or sleep had made for a very draining experience, but Asami was hurt and equally tired- taking care of her came first.

“Don’t worry, I’m okay.” Korra spoke while flashing the brightest smile she could, attempting to address any of her soulmate’s concerns before she voiced them. “Hop into the tub so I can start healing you.” Continuing to smile wide, Korra walked over and drew the curtain aside, reaching out to use a touch of waterbending to cool the water slightly and speed up the rate at which the bathtub filled. Even though it was dark out, it was still hot and the water coming from the tap was overly warm. After a long and hard day in the sun, there could be no doubt that a cooling soak would be refreshing for Asami.

Asami had looked like she was about to protest or argue. Indeed she had quietly voiced her opinion that it was more important for them to make sure Korra wasn’t going to be attacked again, but had long lost that battle. Zaheer was most recently in Ba Sing Se, he couldn’t be back in Misty Palms and any potential secret agents wouldn’t be enough muscle to pose any threat to the Avatar, her father, Lord Zuko, or Lin.

Wordlessly, Asami’s shoulders drooped slightly before she began unceremoniously stripping off her boots and jacket. As the jacket fell away, Korra was more than a little shaken by the sheer number of dark bruises that covered her soulmate’s arms. She felt them of course, but feeling didn’t always give the same effect as seeing them. Much to her surprise, Asami didn’t stop with just her outer clothing and had already ripped off her shirt and was shimmying out of her pants before Korra found her voice.

“Uh, what are you…” She didn’t finish her question as she looked away. Even if they had already been together and she had seen Asami naked before, Korra was still a touch embarrassed by the situation and was truthfully confused- not expecting Asami to be completely disrobing before her.

“Isn’t it easier to heal when you can actually see what you’re healing?” Asami clearly understood the nature of how using waterbending to heal worked and Korra couldn’t argue with her logic. Completely naked now, Asami walked over to the tub and gingerly stepped in before sitting down and leaning against the side. She didn’t look the slightest bit relaxed and was watching for Korra’s reaction, while Korra couldn’t help staring at her body.

Korra was left speechless- it seemed that almost every inch of her soulmate’s torso was covered in overlapping bruises of various shades. She felt the ache and the pain covering her body, but never imagined it could have been this bad- if she did she would never have drank what little water they had in the desert- treating Asami was far more important. She felt sick- she should never have allowed this to happen- she shouldn’t have ever spoke with Zaheer- she should never have ignored the minor twinges in her body while in the spirit world- she should have _known_ Asami was more injured than she admitted- she should have protected Asami from this to begin with. Hadn’t she even promised herself that she would do just that? Why was she such a bad soulmate? Korra stammered various apologies and wasted no more time, moving her hands over the water to begin the healing process.

No matter how much Asami insisted that no apology was needed and that it wasn’t her fault, Korra felt responsible. Responsibility aside, there wasn’t any way she could make it up to Asami either- healing her injuries in no way made up for the fact that they happened in the first place. The only thing she could do right now was focus on healing- moving the water gently over her soulmate to ease the pain and cure the damage done. It wasn’t until most of the bruises had disappeared entirely and only some of the worst ones were left, that Asami spoke up and broke the Avatar’s concentration.

“Can you join me? You’re hurt too.” Korra met her eyes. Yes, she was hurt too, but not like Asami was. As they spoke with the look, Asami’s real request rang out loud and clear in her mind. They only had a short respite from everything going on, but they were alone and they were together. The comforting closeness of Korra’s warm body and touch was what she wanted more than anything and there was no way that Korra would even consider denying her.

Pausing the flow of healing water, Korra stripped off her own clothes, before hopping in the tub and taking a seat next to Asami so that their thighs pressed together. The water was cool, but a welcome reprieve from the blistering heat they had suffered through all day. Korra’s body had some marks of its own, a few bruises, some minor burns on her hands from trying to burn out of her bindings, some skin that had been peeled off from how tightly she had been bound, but she couldn’t get the image of Asami practically covered in dark contusions out of her mind.

Being closer now, Korra brought her hand covered in healing water to Asami’s face to treat the various cuts she suffered from stone projectiles. They healed quickly and Korra shifted her focus to the back of Asami’s head where a gash had scabbed over from the impact of a particularly large stone. As Korra’s hand continued to rest on the back of her head to treat the wound, Asami slowly turned toward her finally bringing their lips together.

The feeling of their lips together was just the balm they needed after such a troublesome few days. A breath of fresh air that made everything feel alright again. Korra split her attention between once again moving the water to heal their injuries and responding to the soft lips on her own that continually begged to be kissed. Even when Asami helped herself into her lap and began caressing her in just the right way, Korra maintained enough concentration on the water to maintain its healing effect- this would likely be the only chance they had to treat their wounds.

As their pain faded away and Asami’s hands continued to encourage her desire, Korra opted to treat Asami to a particularly special evening. Bringing her hands to the top of her soulmate’s back, Korra began to gently but firmly knead the muscles. It was a little-known fact that one part of Katara’s many healing techniques was massage and it was also the one that Korra happened to be the best at. She had lacked the patience to truly master all of the intricacies of healing, although when she really focused she was plenty capable of healing even severe wounds without leaving a scar, but massage was something that Korra had quickly mastered. Maybe it was because she always connected to the physical world so strongly, but being able to feel every muscle and tissue fiber under her hands and then knowing how to work them came easily to her. Korra had been pleasantly surprised by the talent showcased at Zaofu, when she took Asami to the spa, but knew with certainty that she was better. Given how much Asami had seemed to enjoy the experience, Korra had planned on surprising her with a massage for her birthday, but now seemed an even more appropriate time.

It wasn’t long before Asami had broken their kiss to lean her chin over the Avatar’s shoulder as she sighed contentedly under Korra’s firm fingers. Korra always relished such closeness with her soulmate, the feeling of having their chests pressed together and feeling Asami’s breath and heartbeat against her was purely intimate- a physical reminder of their deeper connection. As Korra slowly worked her hands down her soulmate’s back she was rewarded with various groans and gasps. If Asami was enjoying the massage this much, when Korra wasn’t even able to apply the exact right angle or pressure required, then she was really going to lose it when Korra began the massage in earnest. Supporting the entirety of her soulmate’s weight easily with one arm, Korra stood up and began making the way toward the bed, drying them off with some waterbending using her free hand.

“Where?” Asami spoke as Korra began to stand, clearly not expecting their time in the tub to end quite so suddenly.

“The bed. I’ll need you to lie down if I’m going to give you a proper massage.” The sound of delight she made and the way she clung tightly to Korra, clearly indicated just how thrilled she was at being carried and the prospect of receiving the Avatar’s ministrations. Korra laid her gently on the bed, and Asami quickly rolled onto her stomach. The Avatar considered finding an extra blanket to cover her because even if it wasn’t anywhere close to cold in the room, some level of modesty was always preserved for the comfort of the receiver during massage. Not seeing a spare blanket readily available, Korra was forced to accept that they would have to forego one, it didn’t really matter for a number of reasons, not the least of which included the fact they had literally just been naked in the tub and even if a blanket had been available, Korra wouldn’t have paused to actually get dressed herself.

The Avatar paused only briefly to crack her knuckles and roll her shoulders before she set to work. Asami had bruises across the entirety of her body before Korra had healed them and so she was determined to give every inch of Asami’s body the loving care and treatment it deserved. Fingers, hands, wrists, arms, shoulders, back, legs, feet, and even the base of the skull were all on the agenda. Korra was truly an expert- kneading, rubbing, and otherwise working out every knot that could possibly be found, applying just the right amount of pressure into every stroke. She almost always instinctively knew just how much pressure to apply and with how well she knew her soulmate, there wasn’t the slightest doubt in her mind about how to work over Asami’s sore and tired body. Continually rewarded with all manner of sounds of delight, it was the better part of an hour before Korra asked Asami to roll over so she could provide much the same treatment to the front of her body that she had the back.

Just as Korra was about to finish the massage, Asami finally opened her eyes, heavily lidded and asked for her to continue in a more intimate manner. Korra smirked- quite pleased with how eager her soulmate looked, as she happily obliged- having been determined to give Asami anything she wanted. Although the lion’s share of the pleasure was given to her soulmate, Korra did not go without receiving some herself, but when they finally finished for the evening after yet another explosive climax had escaped from Asami’s lips, they collapsed back together. Between the massage and the waves of pleasure that had coursed through her, Asami was completely boneless without the slightest bit of tension in any of her muscles.

Korra held her close, cradling her, as she looked down into beautiful jade green eyes that were unfocused but happy. Minutes passed and they continued to smile at each other, both determined to watch the other fall happily asleep. Korra won and as her soulmate’s eyes gently closed, Korra pulled her just a little closer and whispered “I love you,” softly and fervently. Asami’s smile twitched her lips upward just a little further in her sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If it wasn’t readily apparent- this is an old chapter (in that I wrote it a long time ago). I hadn’t realized just how much it was lacking in comparison to some of my other work until I sat down to give it a final read through in preparation for posting (having believed it was essentially finished). Despite my attempts to fix it and although I could have delayed the posting in order to completely redo it, I already foresee a likely delay to the schedule and I came to the conclusion that a single chapter I don’t love being posted on time- to get us that much closer to the better chapters coming up- is a preferable solution to delaying the story indefinitely for what is by no means the most compelling part of the show or narrative. Hopefully you can also forgive my desire to add what little joy I can for our main girls before, well, you know. All that said, you all have forgiven what I perceived to be a sub-par chapter in the past, trusting that the overall narrative I create is greater than the sum of its parts and while I am more than a little ashamed to ask for such generosity a second time, I am once again asking that you continue to have faith in me despite my personal views on this chapter. All of that aside, I do hope that you were able to enjoy this chapter. As always, I thank you very much for reading and welcome any/all comments and constructive criticism.


	12. Chapter 49: The Decision

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fair warning: this chapter is a little “choppy,” but in my defense this sequence of events is also a little choppy in the show. Also, I will be using a shortened line break to indicate a passage of time WITHOUT a change in POV in both this and the next chapter (and I believe that these two instances will likely be the only times such an event occurs).

Asami woke up, cradled in the strong arms and warm embrace of the Avatar. Expressing that thought always sounded so surreal. The Avatar was an image- an idea so much larger than life it was impossible to fathom. It was like love or a sense of self, representing things that could be known and felt and experienced but that were at the same time so unobtainable and beyond the ability to express in words. The Avatar. Master of all four elements. Spiritual bridge and envoy. Bringer of balance. Symbol of hope. Each idea and aspect encompassing so much more than the young naked girl holding her soulmate so gently and lovingly. And yet, that same girl was all of those things- a bending prodigy to be certain and master of every bending style- new and ancient, so spiritually in tune that she could bend spirits to her will and reach across worlds, respected and revered worldwide for her ability to resolve crises.

Avatar Korra was hardly what anyone imagined when envisioning all that was the idea of the Avatar, yet she was perhaps the epitome of what it meant to be the Avatar. It was at the core of who she was and present in every thought and action she took. In so many ways it dominated who she was that there almost wasn’t any room left for a personality or a sense of self beyond that image. Of course, the person behind the idea was who Asami was really in love with. Avatar Korra was most certainly her soulmate, but it was the second half of that title that Asami was truly enamored by.

In all fairness some of Korra’s most amazing qualities were certainly a result of her role as Avatar, but the person underneath the idea was who Asami cherished. It certainly wasn’t the Avatar who opted to delay hunting down a terrorist organization that threatened every world leader to take care of her. It wasn’t the Avatar who spent her time puzzling over all the right things to say. It wasn’t the Avatar who bothered to be the only one to ever inquire about Asami’s own interests or life. It wasn’t the indomitable Avatar- always looking to get into a fight, who was impossibly tenderhearted. It wasn’t the Avatar who could at once be filled with lust for her and yet shy when Asami undressed so that their injuries could be treated. And it wasn’t the Avatar- devoid of all earthly attachments, who cherished her above everything else. That was all Korra.

Korra who gave everything she was for what she cared about. Korra who was honest and blunt. Korra who was funny and clumsy and awkward. Korra who couldn’t plan well enough to pack properly, never mind plan a party. Korra who was so naturally gorgeous and yet didn’t care about her style or appearance nearly enough to ever be anything more than presentable never mind vain. Korra who had treated her to an amazing night of relaxation and passion, despite the harrowing day they endured. Korra whom she loved.

It was still early morning and they would have to be up soon. In fact Asami should be waking her up even now, but as her eyes traveled Korra’s form and fingers lightly traced the corded muscles of the arms wrapped around her a much better idea began to form in her mind. Korra had treated her to a truly sensational evening and it only seemed fair that she try and treat Korra to a morning that was just as amazing. Besides there was a world of trouble they would have to contend with and Asami was going to take every opportunity she could to enjoy this morning of peace.

Asami began by gently nibbling and sucking her soulmate’s neck until she was positive that consciousness began to return to the sleeping girl. Only once she was certain that Korra was awake enough to actually process information did she allow herself to indulge the pleasure of fondling the Avatar. Asami had always marveled at just how stunning her soulmate truly was- natural beauty combined with an intensely athletic body all tied together with the simple charm that was Korra. It was silly, and even she recognized that it was something only people pining over their crushes typically did, but Asami still loved to sketch out images of her soulmate. Sometimes it would be whole body movements, capturing Korra’s effortless grace, other times a singular aspect- the definition of her arms or the fierceness of her eyes or that genuine lopsided smile of pure joy.

As Asami worked her soulmate up into a tizzy with the pleasure building inside her, she delighted in all the ways she had discovered to make Korra vocalize her pleasure. Asami herself, struggled to remain quiet whenever they were in bed together and figuring out how to make Korra do the same had been a puzzle she relished in solving. As easily embarrassed as she was, Korra would have been mortified for someone to overhear her in the throws of passion and that was perhaps part of the reason why Asami loved driving her wild in just that way- it was something deeply personal and private that only she shared with her soulmate, yet one more piece of Korra that only she was privy to. Even though, Asami would have loved to stretch this encounter out for hours to come- the whole day even, she wasn’t nearly so selfish as to completely disregard the fact that both she and her soulmate had other matters to attend to (even if those very problems were terribly depressing to think about). Asami shifted her position so that she could bring her lips and tongue into the equation, just because they couldn’t enjoy this moment for long didn’t mean she couldn’t make it mind-blowing for Korra and there were still a few favorite sounds she planned on coaxing from Korra’s mouth before their time in bed was over.

* * *

She was awoken far too early, but in the most wonderful way. Lips danced on her neck, while loving hands caressed her body, sending heat and pleasure flooding through her. Korra didn’t need to open her eyes to know that Asami was intently watching her every reaction. She wanted to enjoy the peace that rest had brought her, but Asami’s skilled movements quickly made her reconsider. Blue eyes opened to be filled with a magnificent scene of her lover kindly repaying the pleasure that she had received the night before. Mornings like this were far from evil and Korra savored every moment of it. As she came crashing back down from her high, she found a smiling Asami lying on top of her. They stayed that way for a long time, sharing smooches and saying sweet nothings to each other.

Such a pleasant start to the day could only last so long and as the sun continued to rise they were required to leave the comfort of bed and begin the grueling task of fighting the Red Lotus. No doubt they would need to meet with everyone first and they should try and track down Mako and Bolin before attempting to guard world leaders, but there was something that Korra needed to know first. Even the thought turned her stomach, but she needed to know one way or the other so that she could try and move forward and tackle whatever problems came next. Despite the necessity of the question, Korra struggled to voice it while they set about dressing and preparing for the day and all too soon she was out of time.

“Asami,” Korra stopped them before the door, once they left there was no coming back. “You told me yesterday, that the soldiers…” her voice caught in her throat betraying her fear over the answer to her as yet unfinished question. The look in Asami’s eyes likely meant that she knew exactly what was about to be asked. “While I was in the spirit world…” she tried again, phrasing it differently, but without much success. “Did they… did…” The fear and apprehension closed her throat and choked her words. She took a deep breath trying to steady herself. “What did they do to my body?” Korra blurted it out all at once, horrified by its implications and the possible answers.

Asami’s reassuring arms were around her, hands rubbing her back soothingly, and it was all Korra could do to stop from shaking while burying her head into Asami’s neck. She wouldn’t break down yet though, even if it was false she could believe that nothing happened until told otherwise. “Not _that_.” Relief washed through the Avatar at those simple words, whatever else may have happened might be terrible, but at least the thought she refused to give voice to could be silenced for good. Korra was disturbed and deeply bothered by Asami’s recount of how she was very much felt up while being placed in her bindings, seemingly no part of her too private or sacred to be spared. She felt so violated and it made her a mixture of furious and distraught. She swore that if she ever saw any of those soldiers again, they’d meet an early end.

Even still Korra stayed clutching at Asami for a few minutes longer. There was a world of trouble to confront and they would both need to put on a brave face. It was late morning already and they needed to meet up with her father, Lord Zuko, and Lin to begin discussing their best course of action for finding Mako and Bolin and what they should be doing about Zaheer in general- especially now that he killed the Earth Queen. For better or worse- not much conversation was had over breakfast. The air was thick with anticipation and uncertainty and given that almost everyone had conflicting viewpoints on what the next course of action should be- there was no question a shouting match was brewing.

It wasn’t long after breakfast that Naga began to twitch, just before the inevitable argument was certain to go down. No sooner was Korra informing the table that someone Naga knew was nearby, than the polar bear dog shot out of the tavern. Korra casually made her way outside, knowing from Naga’s reaction that whoever it was was a friend. As everyone followed her out into the bright sunlight, they were all equally shocked that Mako, Bolin and apparently their entire family had made it from Ba Sing Se to come to the Misty Palms Oasis.

After reunion hugs, introductions were made. It was Korra’s honor to introduce her other friends to Lord Zuko and both Korra and Asami were delighted to meet Mako’s family. His grandmother: Yin was especially impressed with Korra’s physique though her tone of voice suggested that it wasn’t entirely meant as a compliment. However, what light hearted joy they had over the reunion suddenly ended as Bolin explained that they were released with the sole purpose of delivering a message to Korra.

“Zaheer is headed to the Northern Air Temple as we speak. He said he’s gonna wipe out the New Air Nation and everyone in it, unless you turn yourself over to him.” Mako’s words froze looks of horror and disbelief on everyone’s face. Whether it was part of his plan or not, Zaheer’s decision to kill the Earth Queen left no doubt that he didn’t make idle threats. Tenzin and the kids- including Jinora and her soulmate, everyone they recruited so far, her entire Avatar mission to restore a nation and help secure balance in the world- everything was in jeopardy.

“Zaheer’s threatening innocent lives, just to get to me. We need to radio Tenzin and warn him that the Red Lotus is coming.” Korra was furious. Attacking her was one thing- he wanted her alive for whatever reason and coming after her made sense, but for him to threaten to harm and kill dozens of innocent people, so many of whom she cared about. It was pure evil. Zaheer had to be stopped, but more importantly Tenzin and the others had to be warned. If they got a message to him in time then they could escape and figure out a plan for dealing with Zaheer later.

Her father and the others were already making the preparations needed to head to Zaofu- the closest place with a strong enough radio transmitter to reach the Northern Air Temple. They could try and radio ahead to Su and see if she could get ahold of the New Air Nation even before they reached Zaofu themselves. Korra was about to dive into action herself, when a slight pang in her heart and a hand on her shoulder stopped her. She turned around to see Asami looking at her, pleading with her to not even consider giving into Zaheer’s demands.

“Everything will be okay. We’ll get the message to Tenzin.” It was the only reassurance Korra could offer as she pulled Asami in for quick, but reassuring hug. She wouldn’t promise Asami that she’d refuse Zaheer’s demands. There was any number of ways this could play out. With any luck Tenzin would get the message in time, if he didn’t… she wouldn’t consider the possibilities.

* * *

They stood in the radio control room in Zaofu. Despite a strong signal no one was answering at the Northern Air Temple. Su had her people trying well before they arrived and even Asami felt useless standing around and watching the radio operator continually re-check the configuration and repeating the same message hoping for a response. Radio was something she was very good with, one of the first things she built that wasn’t a sato-mobile was a more compact variation of a radio, but even with her expertise, Asami couldn’t find any fault with any of the settings being used to contact the Northern Air Temple. It had briefly crossed her mind that perhaps the radio operator was in league with Zaheer and that was the cause for being unable to reach Tenzin, but as she double checked herself, it became clear- whatever reason existed for no one picking up on the other end, had absolutely nothing to do with the broadcast in Zaofu.

“I can’t just sit around here, while a madman is on his way to the Northern Air Temple. We have to do something!” Korra was upset and with good reason, but she was still saying it like everyone was doing nothing. Su had already begun making preparations for an airship to be supplied and her elite guards prepped for battle- planning on fighting the Red Lotus head on. Mako and Bolin had resigned themselves to the reality of waiting for a response on the radio and Tonraq and Lin went to assist Su in preparing for takeoff. It was just Korra who continued to feel like she wasn’t able to do anything useful, but there wasn’t much to do either.

Korra’s sudden proclamation that she was going to meditate into the Spirit World, with the intent of finding Zaheer and somehow trapping him there set everyone else on edge. Last time she meditated into the Spirit World, it had ended with everyone captured and more than a little worse for wear. Asami knew that Korra would go through with her plan regardless of any objections and so opted to try and assuage any concerns the people around her might have by promising to watch over her body.

She followed Korra to a calm area in the courtyard under a small tree. The Avatar had wasted no time in assuming the lotus position and trying to meditate and Asami sat beside her, pulling her knees to her chest. It was almost funny how Korra was meditating so much these days, especially remembering how much she hated doing so when they first met. Once again, Asami was forced to watch her soulmate look absolutely peaceful and beautiful. The way that the wind gently had her hair sway in the breeze, the strength of her muscles on display in the warm sunlight, and that wonderfully peaceful face, looking like there wasn’t a care in the world.

This was almost the quintessential representation of what Zaofu had been for Asami. It was beautiful, peaceful and safe. Moreover, they were alone here in the courtyard- alone and able to enjoy nothing but each other- enjoying a world of love that existed only between them and seemed to make everything else disappear. That was all Asami had wanted and still did want for them. They had enjoyed dates, dinners, dancing, laughs and even the bedroom for so long Asami had fooled herself into thinking it wouldn’t end. Looking back it really hadn’t been that long at all, but even still it was definitely the happiest few weeks of her life. Maybe it still wasn’t completely outlandish to think it was possible- Tenzin would get the message in time, the New Air Nation could join them in hiding out in Zaofu and some appointed task force or other that Korra would _not_ be a part of would be successful in capturing the Red Lotus and imprisoning them again, if not executing them outright.

Then reality came crashing back down as she forced herself to reject the fantasy. The world was full of trouble at the moment and all of it threatened the woman she loved. Asami prayed and even dared to hope that no matter what happened, Korra would make the decision to reject Zaheer’s demand to turn herself over. She knew it was highly unlikely, foolish even- her soulmate was the Avatar and she was an amazing Avatar. She’d sacrifice herself to maintain balance in the world without a second thought. Asami bit her lip hard and fought back the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes with those thoughts. Nothing happened yet. There was no reason to believe that Tenzin and the others wouldn’t get the message in time. That was until Korra opened her eyes, unsuccessful in her mission to trap Zaheer and Mako came running up to tell them that they got through to the Northern Air Temple, but it was too late- Zaheer was already there. Then the fear set in.

* * *

As Korra stared out the window, she could hear the argument in the background. Her father, Lin and Su had been at it for the duration of the flight and had been unable to come up with a reasonable plan of attack. _Too much is at stake and we don’t have the time or anyway to save the airbenders. Pema and the kids, Tenzin, Opal._

“It doesn’t matter. None of these ideas will work. The second Zaheer realizes we’re up to something, he’ll wipe out the airbenders.” Korra spoke and resigned herself to the reality that Zaheer had managed to get the upper hand. He had the leverage he needed to force her hand.

“And Opal is one of those airbenders. Believe me, I understand what’s at stake.” Su spoke up and Bolin nodded along with her. _Mother and soulmate desperate to save Opal. Trust me I am too._

“Then I think you’ll agree. The only plan that will work is for me to give myself up.” Korra turned away from the window so that everyone could see the determination and resolve etched in her face. _I promise I’m going to save them all. I won’t fail again- I’ll keep balance in the world._

“What?” Mako asked confused. _You heard me right._

“Korra, no.” Lin, dismissive and annoyed, but still concerned. _You know it’s the smartest move we have._

“We’ll figure out another way.” Her father. _No doubt, you still want to protect me, but I have to protect the world._

“You can’t expect us to sit by and just let Zaheer take you.” Asami’s green eyes pierced Korra’s pleading desperately to change her mind. The pain in her chest leaving no doubt how upset her soulmate was. It was surprisingly easy for Korra to read her face and see all of the worry and anxiety there, but the ache in her heart was the real concern- Asami was despondent, immensely so and Korra desperately wished she could relieve it somehow. _I’m sorry Asami, but there just isn’t any other way. I have to save everyone- I’m the Avatar._

Korra explained her rationale- the world needed the Air Nation back in order to have balance and it was her duty as the Avatar to bring balance to the world. Once they freed the airbenders, then the focus could shift to rescuing her. She could manage being a captive for a little while- she had done so before. Her father was the first to speak up in his support of her, which she was thankful for and the others quickly followed, but as she went to radio Zaheer, she couldn’t help but see Asami quietly and discreetly leave the room, the pain in her chest swelling even more.

After speaking with Zaheer, she relayed his demands over to the others and Su was already devising another plan to try and take advantage of the fact that they had her elite guards with them. Korra listened for only a few minutes to catch the gist of the plan before leaving to try and track down her soulmate. It didn’t take long before she found Asami all but hiding in an empty storage room, staring out the window. Though she clearly tried to hide it, Korra still saw the tears falling from her right eye.

“Asami, I…” _What can I even say? Sorry? Please understand I have to do this- it’s my duty. I promise, I- I… Everything will be alright._

“I’m sorry,” Asami’s voice shook as she spoke, the tears streaming down her face in earnest now. “I know you have to do this. You’re the Avatar. And you’ll be saving an entire nation. You’re putting everyone else before yourself- it’s the most selfless thing and I admire you so much for that. You’re so good… I just… I can’t…” Korra had her wrapped in a comforting hug the moment she started speaking, stroking her back and letting her cry into her shoulder. “I can’t lose you!” And Asami began to sob uncontrollably.

“Asami…” What was she even supposed to say? She couldn’t promise that everything would be alright. She was turning herself over to a crazy killer- there was no guarantee that the combustion bender wouldn’t blow her up the very moment that she became defenseless. She’d also be lying if she said she wasn’t afraid. After, the attack in Zaofu and hearing Zaheer admit in the Spirit World that he had wanted to brainwash her as a child, Korra was utterly terrified at the prospect of being helpless in his clutches. That didn’t matter right now. The White Lotus had trained her- conditioned her- to push down and fight through pain and fear because the world could hang in the balance. Soon enough she would have to do just that for the world, but for right now, Korra could do that for Asami- anything to bring some comfort to her soulmate.

Korra spoke up, confidence, reassurance, and calm radiating off of her and in her voice, “I love you. I will do everything I can to come back to you as soon as possible. I’m strong- I’ll make it. I promise I’ll come back to you. All I want is for us to be together from now on- no matter what, so why don’t we move in together after this is all over?” Korra promised herself that things would be different after they saved the New Air Nation. All she could offer Asami was her love and promises she had no way of knowing she could keep. _But if- no, when I make it back to you, I’m going to dedicate every day of my life to you- no more hiding from the world. Just you and me, together._ There weren’t going to be any guarantees of a reunion, Zaheer definitely didn’t want anything good for her and he had already murdered the Earth Queen, the only reason he could want her alive was to kill her.

Asami only sobbed harder. Korra could feel all of Asami’s despair and sadness strangling her and wondered how she could even breathe. “I love you, Korra!” Asami choked on her own words. For all her strength and all the hope she represented, there was nothing the Avatar could do to alleviate her soulmate’s concerns. All she could offer was steadfast resolve and reassurance that everything would work out because she believed in herself, in their friends, in Asami, and most importantly in their love and that they would be able to share a long and happy life together.

Korra kissed her deeply and lovingly, caressing her soulmate’s face while wiping away her tears. She pulled Asami flush against her body and let her strong arms wrap around her reassuringly. _I love you. You mean everything to me._ After several long minutes, Asami finally calmed down and caught her breath. Drying her tears she looked into Korra’s eyes, searching once again for reassurance.

A loud knock on the storeroom door broke both girls out of the moment. Kuvira walked in immediately thereafter, “Avatar Korra, we’re arriving momentarily.” She saluted before walking back out and closing the door.

“Korra, please…” Asami began once again.

Korra silenced her with a long tender kiss, before pulling away with a big crooked smile, “I’ll race you back! And when I win you have to teach me to fly the airship!”

Asami’s lips pulled upwards in a genuine smile, “And if I win?” Korra knew her soulmate was only smiling in spite of herself, as the concern and fear never left her voice or eyes. They were out of time and it only further pulled at Korra’s heartstrings to see and leave her so stricken.

Pulling her back into one last tight reassuring hug, Korra forced all of the joy and hope she could into her response, “Everything, my love.” And then she left to retrieve her glider and prepared to turn herself over to Zaheer. She shared precious few words of love and reassurance with her father- Zaheer wanted to kill him as well and she needed that shared moment with him. And then she was standing at the top of Laghima’s Peak staring down a man that already filled her with fear.

* * *

Asami couldn’t stay in the room for another moment after watching Korra go to radio Zaheer. The very thought of Korra turning herself over to him was impossible for her to manage, let alone accept the idea that it would soon be reality. She knew Korra couldn’t be swayed from her decision- she would always put the world and her duty as Avatar first. She was a great Avatar. There wasn’t any hesitation or doubt in Korra’s mind about her decision, Asami knew her well enough to know that. Asami also knew that if she really asked, not just protested, but beseeched Korra not to turn herself over then she wouldn’t.

That was really the worst part. She could make Korra take the course of action that would keep her safe, but it would be such a betrayal that Asami couldn’t actually do that. It would be a betrayal of their love because how could anyone use their soulmate’s love against them? It would be a betrayal of Korra because how could she force Korra to do something so completely against who she was (especially when Asami loved her precisely because of who she was)? And it would be a betrayal of herself because how could she claim to love Korra if she only cared about her own feelings and needs?

And so here she was, standing in the hallway outside the room Korra just announced that she was going to give herself over to a crazy terrorist killer, fighting with herself. It felt impossible to cry because then she would never get her composure back, but it felt impossible not to cry because spirits only knew what was going to happen to Korra. She couldn’t run and hide because Korra needed and deserved to have her support, but she couldn’t stay and passively accept or pretend that she did in fact support this course of action. The internal war may very well have torn her body in two so that each half could follow through on its own desires, but Lin was suddenly beside her, a gentle hand resting on her shoulder and an uncharacteristic softness on her face.

“Don’t worry, kid. I’m going to keep her safe.” Asami noticed the choice of words- Lin’s promise was a personal one, everyone accompanying Korra from Tonraq to the members of Su’s guard all had that goal in mind, but Lin was making a point to reassure her that it was something that mattered to her personally. Asami nearly burst into tears, the desire to crush the Chief of Police in a tight hug almost enough to uproot her feet, which had found themselves anchored to the floor.

“You really care about her too.” It was a statement, not a question. Spoken softly to fill the space without demanding an answer from the older woman. Even still, Asami found herself staring deep and hard into Lin’s eyes looking for the explanation for her soft spot. Korra caused Lin more than a little trouble and the two often butt heads over even minor things that resulted in stare downs and shouting matches. Asami had spoken with Korra more than enough to know her soulmate valued Lin as a friend, but Lin’s motivations for her affection toward the Avatar remained a mystery.

“She reminds me of Kya.” The implications of that simple confession were rattling. Lin never discussed her soulmate in any capacity and even having seen the two together before, there wasn’t any indication that they were involved. Then there was the fact that Kya had been at the Northern Air Temple with Tenzin and the others, which meant that Lin had stood stoic and calm during the whole flight, despite no doubt feeling whatever fight transpired for Zaheer to capture the airbenders. Asami wouldn’t be given a chance to process any of that though, the hand on her shoulder became forceful as she was turned and Lin clapped her on the back with enough force to make her take a few stumbling steps down the hall. “Go take a walk and pull yourself together. You’ll need to send her off in the right headspace for this thing to work.”

Lin had already disappeared back into the room she had just left, closing the door before Asami even had the chance to turn around. The wisdom and logic in Lin’s ordered advice was undeniable. Asami decided to give both halves of her something to work with. She would restrain her tears at any cost to see Korra off, but for right now she needed to get away to somewhere quiet and isolated. Asami found an empty storage room before long which even featured a small window to allow her to stare at the clouds passing by as she continued to wrestle with her emotions. There was no question about what she needed to do- she needed to support Korra and give her the reassurance that the Avatar secretly needed so badly. And yet, it was an impossible thing to do. How could anyone accept or encourage the one person they loved most- their soulmate- to do something that could get them hurt or killed.

And it was that image that played over and over in her mind every time she was close to shoving her emotions down and putting on a brave face. What would Zaheer do to Korra once he had her? Kill her seemed like such a simple answer, but it had to be the case- when did anyone want the Avatar as a prisoner to not kill them or use them as leverage (and since Zaheer was clearly using an entire nation as leverage against the Avatar that really narrowed down the options)? But then the question became how. How would he kill her? He could have done something simple back in Zaofu when Korra was struck with shirshu toxin. The fight to rescue her lasted long enough that they could have slit her throat, bashed her skull in, or even drowned her in lava. All horrible and painful ways to kill someone- so why didn’t they?

All Asami could think about were the possibilities. Torture- for information or amusement or even to try and brainwash her. Abuse, manipulation or mutilation to make her do something- like open the spirit portals again. Maybe it was something as simple and evil as having the strong young _female_ Avatar as a plaything for wicked desires and evil intent. It didn’t matter in the slightest that she would feel whatever heinous act was committed against her soulmate- how could Asami allow the woman she loved to be subjected to any of that? It wasn’t until Korra actually entered the room and Asami looked at her, with all of her kindness, goodness, selflessness, strength, and resolve that almost buried the fear that was laced into the back of her blue eyes, that she actually broke down. She _couldn’t_ do it. She couldn’t just standby and allow whatever was about to happen to Korra happen. Asami had learned many times over in her life how easy it was to lose the things you loved. She had lost her mother when she was only six. She had lost her kind and loving father to hatred and extremist views. She had lost Future Industries to shady business practices and financial trouble. All of those losses had taught her one undeniable truth- she had to fight with all her strength to cling to and protect what she loved- she loved Korra and couldn’t let her sacrifice herself.

Asami could barely speak through her wracking sobs and choking breath. Korra always asserted that she wasn’t good with words and yet she found just the right things to say to help Asami breathe. Korra held her just right to make her believe that nothing bad could happen in the entire world. And Korra kissed her with enough love and certainty to remind her that they had an entire lifetime to live together and be together and love one another. Far too soon Korra left to retrieve her glider and prepared to turn herself over to Zaheer, leaving Asami to stare with both worry and wonder. Asami had the love of the most amazing woman to ever live and because of that she might never see her love again.

* * *

As they arrived at the Northern Air Temple, Asami knew at once something was off. Ghazan was alone, which seemed odd. It was too quiet to be containing dozens of airbender prisoners. And Zaheer was too evil to be trusted. There was nothing she could say or do though as she followed Ghazan deeper into the temple with Mako and Bolin.

As they entered a dead end chamber, the sight of a beaten and broken Tenzin horrified Asami. He was lying in a heap with his hands chained to a pole in the floor and the longer she looked the more bruised and bloodied he appeared to be. _Why is he gagged? And why aren’t the other prisoners struggling more? Or talking- are they all gagged? Where are Tenzin’s children?_

“So, yeah, we’re here to rescue you.” Bolin called out louder than necessary. _What are you doing?_

“Korra, we have confirmation on the airbenders, but the lavabender is here as well.” Mako reported over the radio.

Suddenly Ghazan’s own radio came to life with the command to kill the airbenders. Asami and the brothers immediately tensed and prepared to fight, but Ghazan didn’t move. A moment later the command to stand down crackled out and Ghazan smiled wickedly.

Bolin very suddenly jumped on Mako, grabbing the radio and screaming, “It’s a trick! Opal’s not here- Korra don’t do it!” _What?!_

Mako grabbed at the radio, twisting a dial, “Chief, get Korra out of there now!”

Asami couldn’t help whatever may be happening to Korra or find out wherever the airbenders were, but there was a very injured Tenzin ahead of her she had to help free from this place. Already the bending brothers were engaging the lava bender and she had to do her part to save the New Air Nation. As she ran forward the airbender captives melted and a smiling Ming-hua suddenly jumped into action- jumping and diving right past her to fight the brothers. She wasted no time, pulling a pin from her hair and began picking the locks that bound the master airbender’s wrists. The locks proved difficult to pick or maybe it was her nerves or feeling the shock of every one of Korra’s pains as she fought Zaheer, but she was taking too long and with a grunt of frustration she jammed the pin in hard and the lock clicked open, freeing Tenzin.

As she helped him to stand, taking on the vast majority of his weight, she turned around to see that the entire front half of the room was a pool of lava. The situation was hopeless, since there was no other way out and apparently Oogi had flown away during the attack- they were trapped with no way out. Despite his condition Tenzin managed to come up with a plan for escape and they let Bolin lead the way, while Mako helped her support Tenzin.

She mindlessly walked forward, focusing completely on the pain she shared with Korra, trying to determine how her fight was going. There was an ever-increasing ache and pull on her wrists and ankles, _bindings, perhaps?_ Otherwise, outside of some hard blows to her sides or back, Korra seemed to be getting by largely unscathed. _Please let that be a sign that everyone is keeping you safe and that you’re winning._

The longer Asami walked and the longer the fight dragged out- the more dismayed she became. It should have been a short fight- Tonraq, Lin, Su and the entire elite guard should have been able to quickly rescue Korra. That was all they needed to do- get Korra out of harm’s way- at least long enough to free her from whatever bindings continually pulled painfully on her wrists and ankles. That ache was constant and continually increasing in intensity- Korra was fighting hard, easily bruising herself, which really meant that even if she wasn’t being injured she was still in grave danger- a desperate fight for her life. That shouldn’t be happening- the only thing that anyone should be focusing on was escaping with Korra- they could follow Zaheer to wherever the airbenders were afterwards.

As Bolin lead them down a seemingly endless flight of stairs, with the lava rushing behind them, Asami’s heart suddenly felt like it was torn in two. At once Asami recognized the feeling- it was the same way she felt when she lost her mother. _Korra, what’s happened to your father?_ As Bolin did his best to try and save them from the lava that had caught up to them, Asami felt a sudden powerful impact to her back directly followed by an intense pain to the side of her head. It was strong enough to make her dizzy and her concern over Korra’s welfare jumped to new heights.

It didn’t seem like she would be alive long enough to be able to check in on Korra, the lava was rushing down the path Bolin made and their backs were to a sheer drop off the mountain. Bolin suddenly rushed forward at the lava screaming and threw his hands forward. To everyone’s amazement he was somehow able to control the lava and bend it into a solid wall protecting them.

“Incredible, you’re a lavabender,” Asami, Mako and Tenzin each contributed to the realization. Bolin seemed even more surprised than they were, explaining he just found out himself. Even though they no longer had to fear the dangers of the lava, they still were trapped on the mountain. Without death looming over her, Asami was distraught- they were trapped and she had no way to help Korra. She sent their signal, but knew she likely wouldn’t get a response. Her head was still swimming from the blow the Avatar received.

“You guys need a ride?” Kai appeared at the edge of the mountain on a young sky bison. They quickly clambered on, Mako and Asami ensuring that Tenzin wouldn’t fall. The poor bison struggled under the weight, but still was able to fly them toward Laghima’s peak and ultimately down to where their companions were.

Asami sent their code to Korra periodically, hoping that against all odds that she was somehow alright. The confirmation of her fears that Korra had indeed been captured sent her reeling- consumed by fear and worry. She was further surprised to find Tonraq, though injured, very much alive. Apparently in the battle, Zaheer launched him off the cliff, but was saved by Kuvira. _Korra must have really thought he died._ The revelation that Zaheer was also capable of flight was cause for alarm- he could have brought Korra anywhere. After everyone updated their situation, so that there was a clear picture of what happened, everyone turned to Asami- what was the Avatar’s condition.

 _Besides in extreme danger having been captured by an evil killer?_ “I feel a really hard pulling in my wrists- worse than before. They must have her bound in chains.” She didn’t mention that it was a rather considerable pain, almost like Korra was being pulled along with a constant tension or hanging by her wrists- the more likely scenario if her own experience as a prisoner of the Earth Queen’s forces and having her own hands bound was any indication. As Kai began to explain how he had a very good guess as to where they might have taken Korra, Asami once again sent their signal. As they climbed aboard Oogi, who had returned from seemingly nowhere, she felt it. One hard pulse in her hand. Korra was not okay. _Even during Harmonic Convergence and having Raava ripped from her she sent two pulses…_

“We have to hurry. Korra is in extreme danger- she just told me.” And as Asami made the announcement, everyone’s resolve hardened with concern. They set out to save the airbenders, but Asami’s only concern was with saving her soulmate. _I’m coming. Please be safe just a little longer._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, it’s been a bit since I’ve used those italics for inner thoughts. They may have been a touch excessive, but I think more powerful and more beneficial in this case than simply outlining what thoughts are running through their head. I do apologize for how inconsistent this tact may be, but I try to apply it when it seems more natural and/or when I believe it has greater impact- so hopefully you can appreciate it. Fun fact, I tried to build this entire chapter around that dual perspective airship scene, which is really my way of saying I hope everything else still came together, while still letting that moment shine through. Also, it is definitely official, “love” is the pet name of choice between Korra and Asami (not that it comes up very often, but I think it fits them). We know what’s next. It’s a pivotal moment, the one you’ve all been anxiously asking about, and it will be out on time, but hopefully that looming prospect doesn’t take away from the enjoyment of this chapter. On a brief final note that is completely unrelated to the actual content of this story, I would like to give my sister a loving shout out as she has been something of a sounding board for me and has saved you all from reading some very awkwardly phrased sentences (like really you have no idea how bad some of the things I initially write are) and she has also inspired more than one passage with some of her ideas and suggestions and all of them have yielded what I perceive to be the better parts of my writing. As always, I thank you very much for reading and welcome any/all comments.


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